Bosses at Heathrow have been challenged over the noise blight affecting thousands of families across south west London.

Take-offs from the airport should – generally - be in a westerly direction over Berkshire, however this has switched to the east in recent weeks.

This means that households across south west London are subject to 'near constant' noise.

Munira Wilson, the MP for Twickenham, has joined her counterpart for Richmond Park, Sarah Olney, in demanding action to tackle the din, which often runs late into the night.

A letter from Ms Wilson to the Heathrow chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, said the noise, particularly when people are trying to sleep is causing real harm.

In it, she wrote: "As you will understand, this is causing high levels of annoyance and distress, with local residents' physical and mental health directly affected by their struggle to get to sleep each night.

Flight blight map when Heathrow aircraft are taking off towards the east (Source Heathrow)

"Residents in Twickenham are feeling the impact on their ability concentrate at work and school, impacting on their quality of life and productivity. Some have written to me of the emotional despair this is causing them.

"Whilst I and my constituents appreciate that increased exposure to aircraft noise and noise pollution in general is a natural consequence of opened windows during the current period of warm weather, the lack of respite from being directly overflown is quite another matter."

Government policy is that – generally - planes should fly in to Heathrow from the east over London and take-off in a westerly direction.

The noise disruption caused by the westerly take-offs is alleviated by the fact that the operation of the airport's two runways is alternated at 3pm every day to shift the blight.

Munira Wilson MP challenges Heathrow bosses to end the din

However, when take-offs are taking place towards the east there is no runway alternation, which means communities are blasted by a constant din, both day and night.

The MP said the current inability of the airport to alternate runways during easterly operations means that communities overflown by aircraft face constant noise pollution with no periods of respite.

Heathrow has drawn up plans to allow an alternation of runways during Easterly operations, however this is not due to take effect until the end of 2028.

Ms Wilson said: "On behalf of my constituents, I would be grateful to hear what extra measures Heathrow is taking both immediately to attempt to limit the noise pollution affecting constituents under departure flight paths and to prevent late runners, and in the long- term to ensure Easterly Alternation can be introduced without further delay."

Heathrow said: "We need to undertake works to the airport's infrastructure before runway alternation on easterly operations will be possible."