Activists of the Black Lives Matter campaign group secured access to London City Airport yesterday during a protest that affected more than 100 flights.

Flights were disrupted for around six hours while members of the campaign group erected a tripod and 'locked themselves' onto the runway.

Nine activists of the campaign group were removed and arrested.

"The protests were carried out to 'highlight the UK's environmental impact on the lives of black people locally and globally'."

Flights were resumed after the airport reopened the runway at lunchtime.

Travellers were advised through Twitter to check with their airlines for flight updates.

Over 120 flights were either cancelled, delayed or diverted due to the protests.

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The activists began staging protests at about 5.30am.

Black Lives Matter UK was quoted by BBC as stating that the protests were carried out to 'highlight the UK's environmental impact on the lives of black people locally and globally'.

The campaign group added: "Whilst at London City Airport a small elite is able to fly, in 2016 alone 3,176 migrants are known to have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean.

"Black people are the first to die, not the first to fly, in this racist climate crisis.

"We note, however, that the UK is willing to charter special flights to remove black people from the country based on their immigration status."

Scotland Yard is currently investigating how the activists gained access to the the runway.