TADPOLE Technology, once the London stock market's high technology wonder minnow that swelled into an investor's "paper" whale, has become yet another victim of speculative over-optimism as growth expectations failed to materialise. The company was finally beached this week with the shares suspended after failing to meet the Stock Exchange's six month deadline to produce full audited accounts. The company, which produces specialist laptop computers, cut its losses from £10 million to £4.4 million last year.

Tadpole found itself beached at 23p, an ocean away from the 440p the share commanded at the height of the feeding frenzy three years ago.