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British Airways is facing legal action after a company pilot used his position to abuse more than a hundred vulnerable children in African schools and orphanages.

First Officer Simon Wood, 54, used the cover of charity work for the airline while molesting scores of young girls during his stopovers in Africa.

He used BA branded toys and colouring books to lure girls as young as five out on day trips and to his room at five star international hotels.

Wood, 54, who earned £100,000 a year as a BA pilot, was finally arrested and charged in August after allegedly abusing children for 15 years.

But just two days after he appeared in court in London he threw himself under a train near his home in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire.

British Airways is now facing a hugely damaging lawsuit brought by his victims, who say the company failed to protect them from his abuse.

BA said it called in its own investigators after receiving an allegation against First Officer Wood in an anonymous letter.

Investigators travelled to Africa and when they discovered the extent of the claims against the pilot the information was handed over to Scotland Yard.

Wood was arrested in the BA staff car park at Heathrow on July 18 in connection with an offence of sexually assaulting a child abroad.

When police searched his laptops they found explicit images of African youngsters.

Wood appeared at Westminster magistrates court on August 16 charged with an indecent assault and possessing indecent images of children.

He was granted bail on the condition he surrender his passport, but killed himself two days later.

Prosecutor Peter Zinner said: “The prosecution say that Mr Wood was a deeply depraved and corrupt individual who had used his ability to fly to other parts of the world to commit sexual offences against children.”

Officials in Kenya have identified at least 15 children, all believed to be girls aged five to 11, that Wood abused – and say they fear there are hundreds more.

Prosecutors suspect the pilot could prove to have been among Britain’s most prolific sex offenders.

Wood first came to the attention of police in 2000 when he was arrested over an allegation of indecently assaulting an eight year old girl who he met while volunteering for Diabetes UK

on a trip to North Yorkshire.

The Crown Prosecution Service ruled there was insufficient evidence to charge him and Wood kept his arrest secret from his employers.

Prosecutors have announced that as a result of his death they are halting the case against him.

Jennifer Swiddon, representing Wood, said that her client intended to deny all offences against him prior to his death.

The families of Wood’s brothers Nicholas, 52, and Anthony, 51, said it was “a difficult time for the whole family” and declined to comment.

British Airways said: “Support for children’s homes and schools in Kenya has been part of our community programme for more than 20 years. Cabin crew and flight crew on stopovers in Nairobi often volunteer to visit the establishments while off-duty to help the permanent staff provide activities for the disadvantaged children in their care. All our crew undergo criminal record checks.

“We would be absolutely appalled if it transpired that an employee of ours had been cynically using this charitable work as a cover for exploitation of children he was trusted to help.

“We remain fully committed to supporting our charitable projects in Kenya and elsewhere.”