Mr Walter Hewlett has sent a letter to the boards of Hewlett-Packard and Compaq Computer urging the two companies to call off the planned $22.8 billion (€25.3 billion) merger because there was a "high probability" it would be voted down by shareholders.

The letter from Mr Hewlett, son of the late HP co-founder, William Hewlett, coincided with suggestions from the group that his opposition to the deal led to a conflict of interest and he ought to consider resigning from HP's board. Mr Hewlett sparked the crisis in the deal last month by announcing he would vote his shares against it, even though he voted in favour when HP's board approved the merger this year.