A group of influential bond investors is putting pressure on Marconi, the UK telecoms group, to include them in debt restructuring talks immediately, and is likely to dismiss the company's offer of talks in two weeks' time.

Marconi finally admitted on Tuesday that it was in full-blown negotiations with its banks to rework its debt. The company had previously attempted to play down the importance of the meetings with its banks by describing them as &quotdiscussions&quot, not negotiations.