Greens Storm Construction Firms'S Meet

The meeting ended in chaos with Sir Christopher Benson, chairman, calling for police as protesters invaded the stage and ripped apart the conference podium while the board retreated from the hall, protected by police.

There were scuffles as security guards tried to fend off the protesters as missiles were thrown. From the start, Sir Christopher's efforts to address the meeting were drowned out by abuse.

One protester refused to let the meeting get underway until Costain's security camera, directed on an unlikely combination of pinstriped investors and shareholders sporting a variety of nose, mouth and ear rings, stopped filming. Environmental questions were last on the agenda but protesters refused to wait. A beleaguered Sir Christopher, whose job it was to report pre-tax losses of