The last two incidents resulting from the use of French Anstrude Roche Claire instead of Portland limestone to build a new south Portico at the British Museum in London have fizzled out.

The fact that the wrong stone was being used on this internationally important Grade I listed building came to light publicly in 1999, after Government Ministers said they had been given assurances that Portland stone was being used and that there was no possibility of any other material being considered.

The two outstanding matters were a libel case being brought by the Great Court Scheme\'s architects, Foster & Partners, against the Evening Standard newspaper for comments made by the paper in its coverage of the matter; and an investigation into the incident by Scotland Yard\'s fraud squad.

The Foster libel case was due to go to court earlier this month (October) but was settled out of court just days beforehand. And Scotland Yard, which had submitted papers to the Criminal Prosecutions Service (CPS), says it has been told by the CPS there is insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of a conviction.