Protesters today believe their battle to stop a second runway being built at Gatwick has been won.

But they still harbour concerns that the controversial proposal will one day be resurrected.

Transport secretary Alistair Darling is tomorrow expected to announce plans to expand Stansted, in Essex.

Gatwick looks likely to be ruled out of the equation partly because of a legal agreement signed in the Seventies which said there would be no second runway built until 2019.

It is also surrounded by hills and towns, which makes it more difficult to physically expand.

There have been calls from British Airways to create a third runway at Heathrow but there are conflicting reports about whether this will happen, with some industry insiders saying the plan will be scrapped for environmental reasons.

Leading campaigner Brendon Sewill, from the Gatwick Airport Conservation Campaign, welcomed the news but said there were still concerns.

He said: "We have always been confident Gatwick would not be chosen because of the agreement.

"However, the plans announced tomorrow will be looking at expansion in the South-East for the next 30 years.

"We are interested to know whether there are any long-term plans to expand Gatwick after 2019."

The long-awaited Government White Paper on aviation expansion is expected to cause a huge storm of protest.

The Government had considered a new airport at Cliffe in Kent but this is likely to be ruled out on environmental grounds.

Kent County Council forced the Government to reconsider the possibility of expanding Gatwick after it originally ruled it out.

Meanwhile, British Airways, which employs about 5,000 workers at Gatwick, yesterday dismissed as "speculation" reports the airline was planning to shed 5,000 jobs from its global workforce.

It said no decision had been made on any job losses but admitted chief executive Rod Eddington had not ruled them out.

British Airways has debts of £4.8 million and bosses say urgent action is needed.