UNION leaders have secured a meeting with the main contractor at Wembley Stadium in an attempt to save almost 100 jobs at a North-East engineering firm.

Officials from GMB and Amicus will hold talks with Multiplex on Monday to try to persuade the Australian firm to speak to Cleveland Bridge.

The Darlington company pulled out of the £757m Wembley project and issued legal proceedings against Multiplex after a row over money.

As revealed in The Northern Echo, the firm's withdrawal could lead to the opening of the stadium being delayed by as much as a year.

GMB spokesman Jimmy Skivington said last night that he was hopeful of a positive outcome at Monday's meeting.

"The idea is to try to get the two of them together and see if they can sort out their differences and let the work continue at the Darlington plant," he said.

"That's what we are hoping to try to achieve.

"We had a good positive meeting with Cleveland Bridge today and they are prepared to get on board and make the priority that they get work back on-stream.

"What we are trying to hammer home is that the most important thing is that the jobs are saved."

Darlington MP Alan Milburn held a lunchtime meeting yesterday with Cleveland Bridge bosses, council leaders and union officials.

He said he was still waiting for a full response to a letter he sent to the Football Association regarding the dispute.

"We will continue to put pressure on the FA," he said. "The aim is to get Cleveland Bridge back on the job."