Ladbrokes boss boycotts BA over child snub

The boss of Ladbrokes has stopped his firm's 14,000 workers taking business flights with BA after it tried to bump his 14-year-old daughter and her friend off a flight from Barbados.

Chris Bell, the bookmaker's chief executive, was travelling with the two schoolchildren on a return flight to Gatwick when they were told there was no room for the girls by check-in staff. BA workers even offered the teenagers £250 not to get on the flight before eventually allowing the trio to travel together.

The businessman, a gold card member, complained directly to BA chief executive Willie Walsh. He told him that Ladbrokes workers-were dissatisfied with the airline after experiencing a series of problems, including the fiasco surrounding the opening of Terminal 5.

Ladbrokes spends more than £2 million with BA every year but Mr Bell has now ordered its travel agent only to use the airline if no other flights are available.

He told of his experience after initially phoning BA to complain. He said: "Some bird rang up from a call centre and offered the two girls £20 vouchers each at the corporate shop. I said, 'What do you expect them to buy with that - a teddy bear'?"

A BA spokesman said the firm was "very sorry" that Mr Bell felt he could not fly with the flag carrier again.