'We're not seeking glory' in 2012

Carillion's main interest in the 2012 London Olympics work lies in infrastructure projects and the Olympic village.

"The big issue for a contractor like us, is the form of contracts," said Girling. "Our selectivity strategy is such that we exclude bidding for large lump-sum civil engineering projects.

"So, if Olympic schemes are fixed-price, it's unlikely we'll even open up the piece of paper. But it's government procurement and if the basis is cost-plus then maybe we'd think about it.

"Our main interest is the infrastructure and the village. We're not seeking glory, so a big stadium is a 'no' - life's too short and my career's too short for that."