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Multiplex has lost a battle in its attempt to tie a key subcontractor at Wembley stadium to a fixed completion date.

Multiplex had accused M&E specialist Honeywell of taking advantage of an adjudication ruling that it was not bound by a contractual completion date to delay commissioning works.

A four-day trial is scheduled for February, but in a hearing this week Multiplex asked the court to bring it forward to stop Honeywell holding up the project.

Multiplex said there was concern that Honeywell was 鈥渁rtificially slowing down work鈥�. The accusations were based on a witness statement from Ashley Muldoon, Multiplex鈥檚 at Wembley.

Honeywell responded that any delay was the result of 鈥渆xtraneous causes鈥� and that it 鈥渢ook exception to the suggestion that it was artificially slowing down work to exert pressure because of time at large鈥�.

Mr Justice Jackson ruled that it was impossible to prove that Honeywell had slowed down progress because of the adjudicator鈥檚 decision. He rejected Multiplex鈥檚 application.

Meanwhile it has emerged that a second Wembley electrical firm, Phoenix Electrical, has been bought out in a deal that will wipe out some of its debts.

Phoenix had been hit by payment difficulties with a labour agency called Beaver Management Services (BMS). It has emerged this week that Peter Elsom, a businessman with close links to BMS, bought Phoenix this summer in a deal that is understood to have settled the claims between the two firms.

Lee Compton, Phoenix鈥檚 managing director, said: 鈥淧eter Elsom doesn鈥檛 have any formal business relationship with BMS, but has a good past relationship with it.鈥�

Compton denied that the deal meant Phoenix was obliged to use the agency鈥檚 services in future.