A multi-million pound legal clash between Darlington-based Cleveland Bridge and the contractors for the new Wembley Stadium gets underway in the High Court today.

A specialist judge in the Technology and Construction Court in London will hear the complex case between Australian main contractors Multiplex and Cleveland Bridge, which built the projects distinctive steel arch.

Each side is suing the other for repudiatory breach of contract - a breach so fundamental the aggrieved party may treat the contract as terminated and sue for damages.

Multiplex, which blames its sub-contractor at least in part for the delays which have bedevilled development of the new 90,000-seat national stadium, is seeking up to £45 million.

Cleveland is counter-claiming £25 million.

At the centre of the lawsuit is a 2004 agreement in which the two sides attempted to resolve a series of disputes concerning cost overruns by re-evaluating Clevelands work.

In a statement issued in advance of todays hearing, Cleveland said it would seek to establish that Multiplex, in revaluing Clevelands work on July 16 2004 by deducting circa 14 million from their account and in failing to make payment of £1.25 million in respect of monies previously agreed to be paid for the lifting of the arch, were in repudiatory breach of contract, entitling Cleveland to cease all further work in relation to the same from August 2 that year.

The court hearing, before Mr Justice Jackson, is set for up to four weeks.

Delays in completion of the prestigious Wembley complex have resulted in major sporting events being moved to other venues, including Twickenham and Cardiffs Millennium Stadium.