On Saturday 14th June our flight BA294 from Chicago to London (and then onwards to Manchester) was cancelled due to a technical problem. I was able to get us re-routed the next day on EI via Dublin as we needed to get home at the earliest to attend a funeral.

I have claimed UK261 2 x £520 + expenses (taxi to hotel). BA have agreed to pay our expenses but have denied the UK261 payment saying the following:

"We’re sorry it was necessary to cancel your flight to London Heathrow on 14 June and understand why you needed to get in contact about this. We take all reasonable measures to avoid cancelling a flight and we’ll always consider if there are any alternative solutions available before we make a decision.

Your claim's been refused because BA0294 on 14 June was cancelled due to agrinding noise in the rudder that was identified during routine maintenance checks before departure.

Safety is our top priority, and any issue that could potentially compromise the safety of our passengers and crew must be addressed immediately. As such, the decision was made to cancel the flight to ensure that the necessary repairs were carried out to resolve the problem, in accordance with both regulatory and safety standards."

Is this correct?