company Williams Plc and its bigger US counterpart Tyco, a Bermuda based company, were scrapped yesterday for the second time in nine months.

Williams stock dropped more than 14 percent in London after revived hopes for a takeover by Tyco were dashed and analysts said there seemed little prospect of a third attempt to merge.

"I wouldn't have thought they will try again. Two broken engagements is more than most people get,'' said Andrew Darke, an analyst at Williams De Broe.

The first failed merger was made public last November but the couple were back in discussions by June with talk of a possible $5.60 billion bid for Williams, owner of the Chubb and Yale lock brands.

The market took the news badly and the shares tumbled 60 pence or 14.4 percent close at 356. The share was trading at around 388p before the renewed merger discussions were announced in June.

Price was apparently the factor behind the latest breakdown, two weeks after media speculation that the talks were heading for the rocks because Williams wanted 500 pence per share -- 50 pence more than Tyco wanted to pay.

Yesterday's statement by Williams said the industrial logic of a fusion with Tyco, the world's biggest maker of fire protection systems, was clear cut.

But it added: "It has become evident that some regulatory uncertainty and limited prospects for immediate large scale cost savings have undermined the ability of Tyco to achieve its target.''