Electrical contractor MBS has been thrown off the Heathrow Terminal 5 project after a row over self-employed labour.

Heathrow-based MBS was not a direct supplier to T5 but its workers had been subcontracted by M&E contractors Amec and EIWHS.

It was removed from the project for using self-employed workers. This is banned by the Major Projects Agreement, which governs M&E work on large sites such as Heathrow, and client BAA's code of practice.

A BAA spokesperson said: "A recent Major Projects Agreement audit established that 27 MBS operatives had been subcontracted to work on site without compliance to the agreement and for this reason their contracts have now been ended."