CLEVELAND Bridge's withdrawal from Wembley Stadium could delay the venue's opening by a year because the company holds crucial construction plans, The Northern Echo can reveal.

Those close to the project say the instructions for raising the stadium's retractable roof - which took engineers working for the Darlington company a year to devise - will take months to replace.

Sources say the Football Association might have to forget its plan to hold the FA Cup final at the £757m stadium in May 2006.

Multiplex, the Australian contractor responsible for the stadium build, and Wembley National Stadium - a wholly-owned subsidiary of the FA - dismissed the claims yesterday, insisting that work was on schedule.

But one source said: "It is widely thought that there will be a six-month delay and maybe even a 12-month delay."

Another source said: "The Wembley roof design is a complex one. It has to be fitted together in a tight, sequential order.

"Anybody coming in to take over couldn't do it without Cleveland Bridge's computer module."

Multiplex issued a statement saying speculation about delays at Wembley were untrue.

It said: "Notwithstanding Cleveland Bridge's decision to withdraw from the Wembley project, Multiplex remains hopeful that Cleveland Bridge will comply with its legal obligation to take all steps necessary in ensuring that its decision will cause the least possible disruption to the orderly continuation of the project under Multiplex's management."

A Wembley spokesman said: "We are happy with the assurances we have had from Multiplex that the stadium will be completed on schedule."

FA bosses are thought to be confident that the stadium will be completed by January or February 2006, and hope to host an England game prior to the cup final.

Multiplex has a fixed-price contract to build the stadium so would have to pick up the tab if its costs overrun.

It would also incur financial penalties if the stadium was not finished on time.

When Cleveland Bridge pulled out of the Wembley project last month, forcing it to axe 95 jobs, it warned its withdrawal would cause a hold-up.

Last night, deputy managing director Brian Rogan would only say of the roof plans: "We have done a year's engineering work on the erection scheme. The company that is taking over the contract will have to do that. It's whatever length of time it takes."

Speaking exclusively to The Northern Echo, he quashed rumours that the 127-year-old company was planning to close its manufacturing division.

"I can absolutely assure you there is no plan to run the factory down," he said.

Mr Rogan will meet Darlington MP Alan Milburn and union leaders today to discuss the job losses.