Sunday Telegraph claims Laing director, formerly Heathrow chief executive, was compensated 拢1.1m for leaving BAA

Tony Douglas, former Heathrow chief executive turned Laing O鈥橰ourke director, is at the centre of a million-pound mystery surrounding his departure from BAA.

BAA鈥檚 annual report for 2007 cites a 拢1.11m payment to an unnamed director as 鈥渃ompensation for loss of office鈥�.

The Sunday Telegraph claims Douglas, now Laing O鈥橰ourke鈥檚 chief operating officer, is the unnamed director. The paper alleges that Douglas negotiated a contract with BAA entitling him to compensation if he left for another company.

Both Douglas and BAA have strongly denied that he was paid off after leaving Heathrow. Douglas told the paper: 鈥淚 certainly did not receive that sum of money. That sum of money and me are completely unconnected.鈥�

Douglas left BAA in June 2007 to take up a new position at Laing O鈥橰ourke. He was a key figure in the construction of Terminal 5, whose opening last week was beset by delayed and cancelled flights.

The Sunday Telegraph listed the building alongside other 鈥淕reat British 黑洞社区 Blunders鈥� such as the Scottish Parliament building, the Millennium Bridge and Wembley Stadium.