Some of the descriptions of the fraught Taylor Wimpey rescue talks have been pretty euphemistic considering the company's survival is at stake.

The housebuilder kicked things off a fortnight ago when it described the pace of talks with its lenders as "a tad disappointing". Which was very restrained.

It continued a few days later with a description of Taylor Wimpey's mood by someone close to the crisis talks about the delay. "They're pretty grumpy," he said. Ah, bless.

Then news emerged this week that not all the banks were singing from the same hymn sheet about the terms of the rescue deal. When asked what was going on, one source said: "It's just some silliness among the banks." Silliness?

This morning there was more understatement after it appeared that some of the banks had been talking to the press - shock horror - in order to force Taylor Wimpey into coming round to their way of thinking and giving them a slice of equity in return for a rescue deal.

Talks have been pretty colourful and heated between the company and its banks and even among the different banking factions in recent days. "Vigorous and intense" was the palatable version of events offered by one source.