ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners revealed yesterday they have launched legal action against Stansted airport bosses who are repeatedly trying to evade compensation payments.

Campaigners with Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) launched the legal proceedings after airport management once again failed to introduce a compensation scheme for those whose properties devalued due to local works.

Stansted has so far argued that it was not obliged to pay until all its listed works had been finished — a so-called “golden rivet” loophole.

But recently, the airport’s legal team was forced to change tack, saying the claims were now time-barred under the Limitation Act.

At a hearing in the Royal Court of Justice last March, a judge told Stansted’s lawyers: “So, after years of telling people you can’t claim until the works are complete, you’re now saying: ‘Tee-hee — you’re too late’.”

SSE gave the airport until the end of May to make a public statement and introduce the compensation scheme, but Stansted owner Manchester Airports Group left it to a few hours before the deadline to ask for a meeting instead.

The group’s deputy chairman Brian Ross said SSE asked for an “urgent meeting” with the airport’s managing director right after their hearing in London.

He added: “That meeting took six weeks to arrange and when we eventually met it was obvious Stansted Airport was stalling over the ‘golden rivet’ issue and over its use of the Limitation Act to reject claims.”

SSE will announce on Friday what form of legal action it will take.