Hotel owner Firoz Kassam threatened today to walk away from any deal to save Oxford United if the Government intervened again in plans for the stadium.

There was confusion yesterday over his outline planning application for a leisure complex and the prospective buyer said any more delays could spell the end of the stricken club.

But he admitted to the Oxford Mail that his plans DID include a multiplex cinema - the bone of contention that sparked yesterday's row. He said: "I want to build a bowling club, restaurants, nightclub and a multiplex cinema there. But if the plans for the cinema are called in by the Secretary of State, that would mean a six-month delay and I don't think the club could survive that long. I would walk away. My options are still open."

Mr Kassam won outline permission for the leisure complex alongside the half-built Minchery Farm stadium. But he still has to satisfy city planners with the detail - and the cinema could be a stumbling block. Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said he wanted to see whether a public inquiry was necessary before Oxford City Council voted on the issue. But within hours there was a U-turn and the decision was left to the council.

Mr Prescott intervened after an approach by Green city councillor Mike Woodin. He warned a cinema would generate more traffic - but fellow councillors attacked him because they claimed a multiplex was not part of the application anyway.

However, Mr Kassam, who paid £500,000 for an option to buy United by March 31, confirmed today he DID want to build a multiplex and would not be prepared to wait for a public inquiry. He said: "I am not looking to make money here. I want to help. I have said that I will examine the situation until March 31. If things are not sorted out by then, I shall decide whether or not to extend the deadline. I must keep my options open.

"Everything is in the air still. I want to check with Oxford City Council exactly what the situation is now, following the planning committee's meeting yesterday."

Story date: Thursday 18 March

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.