Pilots at British Airways are being advised by their union to borrow £25,000 each to prepare for a long strike over their pension scheme. The British Airlines Pilots Association (Balpa) says it is preparing for an all out strike of its 2,822 members at BA.

Balpa first threatened the possibility of a strike last month.

That was its response to the company's own internal campaign to tell staff just how serious the pension scheme deficit is.

As well as gearing up for a strike, the union has also employed a team of eight actuaries and accountants to go through the accounts, past and present, of the company and its pension schemes.

Balpa wants to be in a position to challenge any assertion by the airline that the deficit is not its fault or that it cannot afford to make extra payments to plug the hole in the scheme's finances.