RESIDENTS worried about an increase in flights from London City Airport have reacted with concern to suggestions that more planes could be diverted over Redbridge during the Olympic Games.

The fears come after the Civil Aviation Authority admitted to the Guardian it was in discussions with the Government about the 2012 games, and that changes to flight paths were a "possibility".

However a spokesman for the body said: "We are still three years away and no decisions have been made at all."

Nevertheless, some campaigners are fearful that plane routes will be changed to avoid excess noise and the risk of a crash during the sporting event.

The news comes as protesters have launched an appeal urging residents from across east London to attend a meeting next week to discuss recent increases in flights from nearby airports.

Earlier this month some residents were outraged when Newham Council agreed to allow an extra 50,000 plane journeys from City airport, bringing its annual flight total to 120,000.

Anne Taylor, a 53-year-old teacher at Bancroft's school, is one of the latest residents to contact the Guardian worried about excess noise.

She said: "I've lived in Wanstead for 19 years and I've never known it so bad. There does seem to have been a big increase in planes overhead. It's quite distressing.

"I now feel embarrassed to entertain at my house because of the noise. I'm not a Nimby and I accept we need flights for the economy, but the sheer intensity of it at the moment is just too much.

"It's not just City Airport but I think we're getting a lot from Heathrow too.

"If the Aviation Authority is in discussions about flightpaths then it shows that someone does see it as a potential problem in Stratford."

Fellow Wanstead resident Trevor Gordon is hoping to start a local campaign against the problem.

He said: "We absolutely love the area, but having combed the area on my bike the last few evenings, it’s apparent that there’s no hiding place."

Bosses at London City Airport say they have limited flights at evenings and weekends for residents, and that flight increases will help bring big benefits to local economies in east London by attracting more business.

The public meeting about the increase in flights, organised by the Fight the Flights group and Heathrow protest body HACAN, is at 7pm next Thursday (August 6) in the LIFRA Hall, Halley Street, Mile End.

Have you been affected by aircraft noise in Wanstead or Woodford? Contact reporter Daniel Binns on 0779 547 6625 or via email at dbinns@london.newsquest.co.uk