Heathrow Airport has said that some passengers may face security delays over the Easter holidays due to strike action over pay.

Hundreds of security officers in the Unite union, who work for Heathrow Airport, have begun 10 days of industrial action.

It threatens disruption at the UK’s largest airport at the start of the Easter school holidays.

However, Heathrow said the airport was operating “as normal” on Friday.

The strike involves security guards at Terminal 5, which is only used by British Airways, and those who check cargo. Unite has accused the airport of a real-terms wage cut.

Heathrow said it had offered a 10% pay increase back-dated to 1 January, plus a lump sum payment of more than £1,000.

However, British Airways cancelled about 70 flights on Friday. This included flights already removed from the schedule due to the strikes, and cancellations for other reasons, such as bad weather and an air traffic control strike in France.

Picket lines were mounted outside the airport and Unite said the strike was being “well supported”.

London Heathrow airport security strike. ONLYWAY.NEWS