A judge in London yesterday approved the legal and financial measures necessary to implement the controversial £3.92bn ($6.8bn, €5.7bn) takeover of the British shipping company P&O by Dubai Ports World, the state-owned United Arab Emirates group.

But Mr Justice Warren, sitting in the High Court, also agreed to stay any order until 3pm today, to allow Miami-based Eller & Co, which had opposed the deal, to see whether it could persuade the Court of Appeal to revisit the issues.