Perfect PFL - You seem to have ignored the Assumptions aspect of the first part of my posting.
You want to be a pilot as soon as possible. You are going to have to pay for your own training. In which case following a vocational route is preferable.
And do not fall into the trap of thinking a degree is better than a high end City&Guilds or HNC.
These are seriously technical qualifications held in the very highest regard by industry. I have heard industry leader after leader expound the view that they would like this country move towards the German model whereby fewer people do purely academic degreed and more do apprenticeships and day release vocational study.
WWW