Bradford Bulls chairman Chris Caisley has pulled the plug on a multi-million pound deal to redevelop Odsal stadium.

Mr Caisley says he will not continue with the £20 million scheme with Bradford Council and developers Sterling Capitol because, he claims, Sterling have broken a string of deadlines.

Today he said he was seeking urgent talks with council chief executive Ian Stewart in a bid to bring Odsal up to scratch as a stadium fit for top Rugby League matches.

Mr Caisley has already signed the deal but says the delays have forced him to reconsider even though Sterling Capitol was due to sign the deal today.

For now, the plans to create a 30,000 seater stadium boasting attached leisure and retail facilities are no more.

The Council and Sterling Capitol need the Bulls to sign up - as the main sitting tenant - if the scheme is to go ahead.

Sterling Capitol managing director Martin Croxon did not want to comment.

Bradford Council could now face a £500,000 bill if it carries out the minimum renovations needed at the stadium to meet exacting Super League standards.

Today's drama was the latest in the long-running saga of Odsal Stadium.

John Garside's £200 million superdome scheme collapsed after a five-year delay and Sterling Capitol was picked as the new developer in April last year.

But a planning application has still not been submitted, although the company has teamed up with shopping chain Tesco to push forward the development.

That application would have to be determined by the Secretary of State for Transport, Environment and the Regions, John Prescott.

Mr Caisley said the Council had "done their damnedest" to get the Sterling Capitol scheme off the ground.

But he said: "We need to look at what it is that has held it up and address that reason. At the moment the position is the same as far as Sterling Capitol is concerned. Despite our best efforts at the end of last week further amendments were being sought by the developers.

"Yet again we agreed with the amendments despite the fact that ourselves and the Council were both happy.

"Over the past several weeks a number of deadlines have been set and everyone has been aware of the critical nature of those in terms of the future planning of our business.

"The end of August was set as a first deadline for the heads of terms agreement to be signed but at the end of last week we were still in the same position.

"We intimated at that time to the council and the developers that unless the document was signed by 5pm on Monday this week the club would make alternative plans.

"The deadline came and went again with the developer again asking for further amendments in relation to the date by which planning was to be submitted.

"Yet again the club agreed to an extension from October 5 to November 30, but not withstanding that the document remains unsigned.

"We would now like to sit down with the council and look at an alternative scheme which we can put forward."

Council leader councillor Margaret Eaton said today: "We are disappointed to hear of the Bulls withdrawal from the redevelopment plans involving Sterling Capitol.

"We had reached agreement with Chris Caisley of the Bulls and we had received notification from Sterling Capitol that they were content to sign the agreement today.

"The council remains fully committed to the delivery of the multi million pound redevelopment of Odsal Stadium and, therefore, we remain hopeful that we can complete a deal to the satisfaction of all parties."

Odsal Labour ward councillor Dave Green said he hoped it could be salvaged and had written to residents asking for a meeting as soon as possible.