Campaigners against the expansion of Stansted Airport took their legal battle to the High Court last week.

Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) believes the Airports Commission, set up to advise on the future of British airports, may have been subject to bias.

Geoff Muirhead, the former chief executive of Stansted’s current owners, the Manchester Airports Group, sat on the commission until his resignation in September.

The Airports Commission is due to report its recommendations to the Government in 2015, with the creation of a four-runway “super hub” at Stansted one of the options under consideration.

Both Braintree Council and Essex County Council have outlined their opposition to new runways.

SSE, who believe the Airports Commission may have acted unfairly due to Mr Muirhead’s influence, went to the High Court in London last Friday to ask for decisions made with Mr Muirhead’s involvement to be re-visited.

SSE chairman Peter Sanders said: “It is not enough just to remove Mr Muirhead from the Commission at this advanced stage and that is why we will be asking the High Court to order the Commission to re-visit certain key decisions made by the Commission during the time that Mr Muirhead was involved.

"This is a fight for fairness and with proposals before the Airports Commission to make Stansted the world's biggest airport, it is a fight that we cannot shirk."

The population of Braintree district could increase by 16 per cent if a super hub is created at Stansted, creating 261,000 jobs.

Alternative options being considered by the commission, headed by Sir Howard Davies, include a new airport in the Thames Estuary and new runways at Gatwick and Heathrow.

Last Friday, the High Court said it would make a decision in writing at a later date.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: “We are not commenting at this stage because we are waiting to have the judge’s verdict.”