But he ruled that only six pickets can demonstrate directly outside the gates."The rights to peaceful assembly have a long and important history in our democratic system, and a court will be slow to stop any of those who seek within the law to express their opposition to action that has some effect on their lives from doing so," he said.Speaking after the hearing, Andy Cook, the director of human resources at Gate Gourmet, said he was "delighted" with the ruling. Gate Gourmet claims that staff have been intimidated by the demonstrators, and the police were called in to investigate claims that one employee was head-butted.In a submission to the judge, the firm's regional director of quality assurance, Patricia Clark, claimed that of the 250 drivers on its staff 10 had resigned last week because of intimidation, 63 were on short-term sick leave and 23 were absent without having given a reason. The ruling came as the firm - which provides in-flight meals for British Airways - threatened to call in administrators unless BA agreed to a favourable new supply contract. But, although its legal actionn failed yesterday, the company was granted an injunction limiting the number of pickets allowed immediately outside its gates.Gate Gourmet's dismissal of more than 600 catering staff prompted a walkout by BA ground staff earlier this month, which led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights and stranded thousands of travellers across the world.Since then, the sacked workers and the Transport and General Workers' Union have staged daily demonstrations outside the company's Heathrow offices Emotions have run high. She said Sir Ian and Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, must also explain why there was a five-day delay before the IPCC began its inquiry.. Gate Gourmet, the catering firm at the centre of the Heathrow wildcat strike, has lost a High Court battle to stop mass pickets protesting near its headquarters. When they brought them back three or four days later, they said, 'These are no good to us. They're blank.'" Writing in The Independent today, Ann Cryer, a Labour member of the Commons Home Affairs Committee, said the existence of a "shoot-to-kill policy" disturbed her.

The Mail on Sunday quoted a senior transport union official as saying: " After the incident, the police took the tapes away. Mr de Menezes's brother, Giovani, said: "They thought we were poor people, stupid people We may be poor but we are not that stupid. We will not exchange money for my brother's life ­ but we will punish them. Tube Lines, the company which runs Stockwell station, said it had not been aware of any faults on its cameras on 22 July. " Meanwhile, it was claimed yesterday that CCTV tapes depicting Mr de Menezes' last moments were handed out to police but returned blank. The letter is very specific that this sum does not inhibit any future claim that the family may have against the Metropolitan Police Service and this point was reiterated at the meeting with the family in Brazil." But the family told The Mail on Sunday they had been pressured into meeting Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Yates, from the Met, without their lawyers.

A statement from Scotland Yard said: "We can confirm a letter signed by the Metropolitan Police solicitors has been passed to representatives of Mr de Menezes' family which provides a £15,000 ex-gratia payment. But Keith Hellawell, the former chief constable of West Yorkshire, told Sky News: "If it is shown he completely misled the British public, then I don't think he could continue in office." Gareth Peirce, whose firm Birnberg Peirce is representing the de Menezes family, said: "The question of the police going to Brazil to speak to Jean Charles' parents was just one of many examples where the police appeared to be trying to ensure that the family did not have legal advice at important moments." Ms Peirce, who has condemned Sir Ian for "extreme negligence" over the information he put out about the killing, complained of "a catalogue of disturbing features of this from the start to finish and I suspect they haven't finished yet". "I thought, 'That's dreadful, what are we going to do about that?'" He denied accusations of a cover-up, pointing out that he brought the case to the attention of the Home Office and the IPCC. I think nobody is ­ it was a terrible tragedy that that young lad was killed." In an interview with the News of the World, Sir Ian said he first learnt of Mr de Menezes' innocence the morning after the killing on 22 July. " Somebody came in at 10.30 [on 23 July] and said the equivalent of 'Houston we have a problem'.