A Twickenham woman is taking legal action against British Airways because they won't let her wear a cross while working at Heathrow Airport.

Nadia Eweida, 55, a check-in worker, has been forced to take unpaid leave and is refusing to return to work unless the airline relents.

Miss Eweida is being backed by her MP Vincent Cable but BA are denying they banned her from wearing the cross and said they have not suspended her from work.

A source close to Miss Eweida said she went to work one day and was told she had to remove the cross she was wearing because it was jewellery and therefore did not conform to uniform standards.

"She told them she was wearing it as a cross and not as a piece of jewellery," said the confidante. "But the management did not accept her explanation and told her it was BA policy that she couldn't wear a piece of jewellry around her neck.

"She agreed to wear the cross under her cravat for that shift but wrote to them to challenge their policy."

Miss Eweida went on holiday for a month and a half and after working two shifts wearing the cross with no questions Miss Eweida was pulled up by the same duty manager. After a meeting with the manager and her union she was sent home without pay.

"They sent Nadia a letter saying she could only come back if she removed the cross," continued our source. "She was warned if she came in again wearing the cross they would discipline her."

A hearing was held and she was told she would not be disciplined but could take unpaid leave, which she had not asked for.

She is still waiting for BA to respond to her challenge of discrimination when she will decide whether to continue her legal challenge.

"Nadia hasn't been given equal opportunities to wear her cross visibly as others of other faiths can by wearing the hijab a bangal or a turban," said Miss Eweida's confidante.

Dr Cable said: "When there is so much sensitivity over religious identity it beggars belief that BA can make exemptions from its dress code for some religions and then refuse Ms Eweida permission to wear a simple, small cross around her neck as a sign of her faith."

He said that because BA management had treated the rules rigidly she was forced to choose between her faith and her job "I sincerely hope that for the sake of the corporate reputation BA can deal fairly and quickly with this issue so that committed Christians do not feel that they are being treated less sympathetically than people from other religions."

A BA spokesman said the airline did not have a policy banning the wearing of religious symbols as jewellery by its staff but operated a uniform policy which states that such items can be worn underneath the uniform.

"This rule applies for all jewellery and religious symbols on chains and is certainly not specific to the Christian cross," continued the spokesman. "Other religious items such as turbans, hijabs and bangles can be worn more openly, since it is not practical for staff to conceal them beneath their uniforms.

"British Airways would also like to stress that the employee in question has not been suspended. She has chosen to take voluntary unpaid leave."

They refused to comment further as the case was still ongoing. Our source said that BA's claims Miss Eweida had not been suspended were misleading and she had not asked for unpaid leave.

"She was willing and able to come back to work," said our source. "But she said she would take action if they wouldn't let her come back with her cross, her leave is involuntary.

"She wants BA to allow Christians to demonstrate the faith in their work life, she won't go back to work unless she can wear her cross and is not going to resign, so there's stalemate."