PRESS DIGEST- British Business - Sept 22

Sept 22 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

The Times

Dorothy Thompson, one of a handful of female chief executives to run a large UK-listed company, is to step down as chief executive of the power giant Drax Group Plc after 12 years in charge. (http://bit.ly/2fE9tvu)

Britain's Co-op Group Ltd has sold its last remaining stake in the struggling Co-op Bank as its food business continues to grow and outperform the market. (http://bit.ly/2fEEcJ8)

The Guardian

Ryanair Holdings Plc Chief Executive Michael O'Leary, has escalated the airline's dispute with pilots, saying they do not have a "difficult job" and claiming he can force them to defer their time off. (http://bit.ly/2fEfKHI)

The UK's first new nuclear power plant for 20 years could be delayed again, after trade unions for construction staff working on the 20 billion pound ($27.14 billion) Hinkley Point C project announced a ballot for strike action in a dispute over pay. (http://bit.ly/2fELWuB)

The Telegraph

Challenger bank Paragon has shaken up its management and restructured itself to accelerate its push into mainstream banking services, including car, business and development finance. (http://bit.ly/2fElUYt)

Richard Cousins, chief executive of FTSE 100 catering giant Compass Group Plc, is to step down after more than a decade in the role during which he brought the firm back from the brink and turned it into one of the most successful constituents of the index. (http://bit.ly/2fDDThx)

Sky News

Uber is bracing itself for regulators‎ to deliver a crucial ruling that could trigger the removal of tens of thousands of private-hire drivers from London's streets. Transport for London‎ could announce as soon as Friday whether it is handing the world's biggest ride-hailing app a new five-year operating licence. (http://bit.ly/2fDFfc7)

Paul Kahn, the former boss of Airbus's UK operations‎, is to resurface in a senior role at Cobham Plc, the embattled defence and aerospace group. (http://bit.ly/2xi0Hxi)

The Independent

Greenpeace campaigners in boats and kayaks have stormed a 23-tonne ship, in an attempt to stop it from delivering diesel cars made by Volkswagen AG to the UK. (http://ind.pn/2fDOmJI)

($1 = 0.7369 pounds) (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom; editing by Diane Craft)