Builders Sir Robert McAlpine have pulled out of specialist conservation contractors St Blaise, the business established and run by Ian Constantinides in Dorchester and Portland, Dorset.

"St Blaise may be dead . . . but long live St Blaise," said Ian, who was trying to put together a rescue plan for the company that he started in 1982 and sold 45% of to Sir Robert McAlpine in 1995.

He said: "St Blaise has not gone bust, nor gone into liquidation or receivership, nor ceased to trade. It\'s still trading and completing all its existing contracts. It\'s merely not taking any new work at the moment.

"We strongly anticipate that the flower of the present St Blaise will continue with the company, whose name is unchanged - it won\'t even be St Blaise (Hiccup) Ltd; it will continue to be St Blaise Ltd."I\'m in negotiation with a third party that will allow St Blaise to continue trading in the same form as now and will enhance both parties."