MYSTERY continues to surround the future of the Mechanics’ Institute after the Adver finally got in touch with its owner.

The newspaper managed to reach jet-setting businessman Mathew Singh yesterday, after numerous previous attempts to track him down had failed.

He said he had been overseas and was back in the UK this week.

But when asked about what the future held for the famous building, and the bill of almost £400,000 for repair work the council has carried out in his absence, he had only one thing to say: “No comment.”

The businessman flatly refused to discuss the issue, leaving a question mark still hanging over the building.

“I’ve got nothing to say at the moment,” he said.

“I’ve got nothing new to say on this. We are just going round in circles. It’s no comment.”

As reported in the Adver, the total cost of repairing the building is now about £1.2m – paid for entirely by the council, which aims to recoup its costs from Mr Singh.

But since the building is mortgaged to a bank the council says it is not in a position to make a compulsory purchase.

Meanwhile, the dilapidated icon continues to stand empty, with a temporary corrugated steel roof to protect it.

Daniel Rose, the chairman of the Mechanics’ Institution Trust, which aims to take control of the building and then renovate it, said: “On one level I’m disappointed that the owner doesn’t want to engage in what is a very serious situation.

“And probably the longer he doesn’t engage with the various parties involved, the harder it will be for him.

“He has become more and more isolated.

“But at the end of the day it’s his decision whether he wants to engage in the issues of the Mechanics’ or not. And he’s choosing not to.

Daniel said the next immediate steps were to finish the repair works, which are scheduled to be completed by May, and send a final bill for all the expenditure incurred to Mr Singh and his company, Forefront Estates.

They will then have to wait and see if he pays it, then decide what to do.

As reported yesterday, the council is exploring whether it may be able to keep control of the building after it completes its repair works, instead of handing it back to Mr Singh.

“There are circumstances where the council could judge it’s not appropriate for them to relinquish control of the building,” said Mr Rose.

But it is not yet known the exact piece of law they would have to rely on.

Coun Garry Perkins (Con, Shaw and Nine Elms), who is the cabinet member responsible for regeneration and the Mechanics Institute, said: “You’ve been extremely fortunate even to get a ‘no comment’ from Mr Singh.

“It’s more than anyone from the council has had recently in respect of the bill that was sent to him.”