Relations between bmi and its pilots soured further yesterday as evidence emerged that appeared to show the airline taking money out of its employees' bank accounts.

The furious pilots are seeking legal advice and some are understood to want a police investigation. It is illegal to remove money from a bank account without permission.

The dispute between bmi and its pilots arose after the airline reneged on a promise to increase pay this year. As The Times revealed last week, Nigel Turner, the chief executive, told the airline's 5,000 staff that they would not get a pay rise because of the worsening economic conditions.

Only two months before, Mr Turner had assured them that the pay rise would be honoured.

Bmi's 400 pilots were due to receive the increase last month and other staff would have been paid it in April.

Balpa, the pilots' union, claims that the increased salary was paid to its members last month and subsequently removed from bank accounts. Salaries were then repaid without the increase. In some cases, the salaries were repaid days later, forcing pilots to take out an overdraft to pay their bills.

Bmi, the former British Midland, has denied that it removed the money.

Balpa responded yesterday by publishing the bank statement of one of its members. This shows £4,838 paid in by British Midland Airways on January 28. It is then recalled and £4,631 is paid back in the next day.

A spokesman for Balpa said: “There is real fury among the pilots about what happened. They feel that this is nothing less than bank robbery and they are incensed the company will not even own up to it.”

Bmi clarified its position yesterday, blaming the banks for the error. It said that no money had been paid to staff by bmi and therefore the airline could not have removed it.

However, many of the airline's pilots appear unwilling to accept the semantics of who paid what and when and are blaming their employer for the debacle.

Union officials will meet bmi's management today to discuss the issue and also the decision to freeze pay.

Balpa members are voting on a motion of no confidence in Mr Turner after his decision to renege on the pay promise.

Unions representing other staff have also said that they are angry about the pay freeze and are seeking talks with the company.

Virgin Atlantic announced last week that it, too, has frozen the pay of all 9,000 of its staff. British Airways has indicated that staff may get less than a 1 per cent pay rise.

The airline industry has been badly hit by the economic downturn. Bmi has said that it expects to make a record loss for 2008 and needs to cut costs to limit job losses.

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