Britain faces mass strike action

Thousands of UK schools, colleges, courts, Government offices and jobcentres will be closed or disrupted today when teachers, civil servants and other workers stage the biggest strike for five years, in a bitter row over pensions.

Air travel could also be hit and driving tests cancelled because of the 24-hour walkout by members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), University and College Union (UCU) and Public and Commercial Services union (PCS).