A fight over who has the right to use Britain's famous iron telephone boxes reached stalemate yesterday when both British Telecommunications (BT) and a rival company had to promise not to install any more.

New World Payphones has installed about loo of the world famous red kiosks - and painted them in green. But BT has taken the new company to London's High Court to dispute its intention to use the kiosks for its own telephones.

BT has won several injunctions against New World using the boxes while the court considers the case.