Beleaguered engineering group Jarvis has announced deals worth £154 million to build schools and run university student housing.

The news comes despite condemnation from clients involved in similar schemes run by Jarvis in the last few years.

In February, Brighton and Hove City Council described the group's work on a £105 million contract to redevelop and manage four schools in Brighton as "unacceptable".

The contracts to build a new secondary school and public library in Croydon and to run halls of residence for the University of Plymouth are a boost for the firm's troubled accommodation services arm.

Thursday June 03, 2004