Feb 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

Break up BT to boost the economy, says Sky boss

Jeremy Darroch, the chief executive of Sky Plc, has warned that Britain risks falling further behind other countries on broadband speeds if Ofcom does not break up BT Group and foster an era of fibre investment. Ofcom will reveal its plan to overhaul the regulation of Britain's broadband infrastructure on Thursday amid a wider debate about whether BT's consumer business should be split from Openreach, the network division that connects broadband lines. The regulator is expected to present a range of options but looks unlikely to remove the threat of a BT break-up at this stage. (http://thetim.es/1oCGLNW)

The Guardian

Sainsbury's expected to ask for more time in Home Retail Group battle

Sainsbury's is expected to ask for an extension of the Tuesday deadline to table a firm bid for the owner of Argos following the emergence of a 1.4 billion pound rival offer from South African retail group Steinhoff International Holdings . The request for more time from the Takeover Panel would come from Sainsbury's with the agreement of Argos's parent, Home Retail Group Plc, and would likely propose 18 March, the same date for Steinhoff to make a firm bid. (http://bit.ly/1UgGY5e)

Volvo recalls 59,000 cars over software glitch

Volvo is recalling 59,000 cars over faulty software that can briefly shut down the engine, including more than 7,000 in the UK. The recall affects five-cylinder diesel models S60, V60, XC60, V70 and XC70 built from mid-2015. Owners of the Swedish cars are being sent letters directly, asking them to take their vehicles to their local dealership for a 30-minute no-fee fix. The cars are being recalled across 40 markets, but those affected have been sold mainly in Sweden, Britain and Germany. (http://bit.ly/1ouxYNf)

The Telegraph

Boris Johnson backs Brexit as he hails 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' to vote to leave EU

Boris Johnson says Britain has a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to vote to leave the European Union as a way of securing an entirely new relationship with Brussels based around the single market. Johnson calls for Britain to be "brave" and says that "there is only one way to get the change we need - and that is to vote to go". He says that "EU history shows that they only really listen to a population when it says No". (http://bit.ly/1LA0W3A)

RBS and Lloyds forecast to cut hundreds of branches

The Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group are expected to announce further plans to cut costs when they publish their 2015 financial results this week, which analysts believe could result in the closure of more than 400 more branches in the coming years. (http://bit.ly/1PQDR0K)

Sky News

HSBC slashes Gulliver pension by 250,000 stg

The boss of HSBC Holdings Plc had his pension allowance slashed by 250,000 pounds last year in a move aimed at appeasing big investors in Europe's largest bank. HSBC will disclose on Monday that a cash sum handed to Stuart Gulliver in 2015 in lieu of a pension was cut from 625,000 pounds to 375,000 pounds. The move represents a decision by the bank to cut the awards from 50 percent of executives' base salaries to 30 percent, following shareholder complaints that they had been excessive. (http://bit.ly/1KxQD5q)

Passenger Jet Veers Off Runway In Birmingham

An aircraft with 98 passengers on board ended up on a grass verge after it went off the runway following its landing. The plane was making its way to the terminal at Birmingham Airport when it "manoeuvred" off the tarmac, said officials. (http://bit.ly/1WC3HY7) (Compiled by Rama Venkat Raman in Bengaluru; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)