Olympic contractors are pleading with the organisers to stop meddling with the design and let them get on with construction, according to David Higgins, chief executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority.

Dubbed the “Austerity Games” in some quarters, preparation for the 2012 Olympics has been hit by the global financial crisis, which has put at risk the government’s assurance that the £9.3bn ($14bn) budget will not be breached. The government and Boris Johnson, London’s mayor, are both pressing for savings to be made.