The Department for Transport (DfT) has said that more than a thousand homes will have to be demolished if plans for a new airport in Kent are approved.

Thousands of people queued on Thursday to examine the proposals for the Hoo Peninsula in Cliffe.

A DfT report prepared for the exhibition showed that 2,000 hectares of land will also be lost if the airport is built.

One visitor to the exhibition said: "I have been told here that once the government makes a decision, they'll let me know whether or not I'm going to lose my house.

Double capacity

"Is that the way to treat people?"

The DfT said that by 2015 there could be a two-runway airport at Cliffe, which would be able to cope with 58 million passengers a year.

By 2030, it could double its capacity with the addition of two more runways.

The report also shows that 19,000 homes will hear the noise from the two-runway airport and up to 62,000 homes will be affected if it increased in size.

The DfT's figures also show that 53,000 jobs could be created by 2015, and up to 79,000 by 2030.

Anti-airport campaigner Alan Cook said the exhibition lacked detail.

"What we are being shown today is just the government putting its feelers out.

"So, at the moment, this is just a broad brush view of what might happen and there is very little detail for people to get their teeth into."

The DfT said it had advertised the exhibition in the local press from 29 August and was pleased with the response.

"We had about 2,000 people at the event and we feel it has been a sucess," a spokesman said.