The UK Prime Minister has put pressure on British Airways cabin crew to call off a series of strikes.

Gordon Brown has described the action as unjustified and has called on the Unite union to call off its three-day strike, which is due to start on Saturday.

A four-day walkout is due to follow on the next weekend.

Meanwhile, the Unite union and BA have been running a bitter slanging match, with British Airways, through its chief executive Willie Walsh, saying the union failed to turn up for planned conciliation talks last weekend.

Unite has vehemently denied the claim, saying it had not been asked to attend any such talks.