ANGRY Southampton residents are launching a campaign to save more than 30 protected trees earmarked for the chop because they have been dubbed a danger to aircraft.

Airport bosses claim the trees, all in the Townhill Park area, are encroaching on aircrafts' take-off and landing funnel and would become "obstacles" if left to grow.

They say they only want to trim 16 trees, but admit that 15 of those - and a further 20 saplings - will die from the trimming and will need to be felled. Now locals, who claim the trees - which are as much as 400ft to 600ft away from the undercarriage of most aircraft using the route - act as a noise barrier and are the backdrop for the community, are fighting the proposal.

All but four of the trees are on the council-owned Marl Hill Copse, to the rear of Moat Hill, and all of them are protected by tree preservation orders, so BAA needs Southampton City Council's permission to fell the five Monterey pines, five Corsican pines, one Scots pine and 20 sycamores.

A decision will be made by the council's planning and rights of way panel on March 11, but any residents' comments about the plans must be made, in writing, by February 17.

Liz Woodford, secretary of Bitterne Park Residents' Association, said: "We've got to get our comments in before the panel meets. There's a hell of a lot of residents to let know and, as they want the comments in writing. It's just too short a time."

Airport spokesman Patrick Alexander said the proposals were part of an ongoing management programme.

He said: "There are certain funnels that aircraft use to come in and go out of the airport. Within that there are certain large areas of margin all around. We, as part of our licence to operate, have to monitor all obstacles all of the time to ensure that they don't encroach in this area.

"Over the years a tree will gradually get bigger and bigger and, if you don't do anything with it, it will encroach into that area."

The airport said the height of trees was only a problem for planes taking off rather than landing, because of lighter fuel loads when coming in and different approach heights.

Mary Finch, chairman of the Airport Pressure Group, said: "If those trees were taken down it would be a destruction of the whole effect of the area, destruction of the noise barrier. If these trees come down all we will see is the airport and the M27."

Sylvia Percy, who lives in St Helena Gardens, added: "We live on the flight path and even now I can practically see the pilot sitting in the cockpit.

"It's worrying."