DISGRUNTLED businessman Gary Walton almost brought an entire industrial estate to a standstill yesterday as he took his phone company protest to the top.

Mr Walton, who owns Stockton coach firm Compass Royston, got so fed up with ntl's failure to install phones at his company that he surrounded their offices with 20 coaches and refused to move until they agreed to his demands.

His unusual protest brought almost total gridlock to parts of Stockton's Preston Farm industrial estate yesterday morning and meant ntl workers had to run the gauntlet of angry coach drivers.

Their stance eventually paid off, with ntl agreeing to start the work yesterday afternoon.

The protesting coach drivers then dispersed as police arrived to clear the road.

Mr Walton, who owns 60 coaches, said he had been forced to take direct action.

He said: "I can't say how much money I have lost because of this, but it has been a very disappointing situation.

"After dozens of calls and faxes to ntl they had still done nothing, so what choice did I have?"

His problems began when he bought Delta Holidays, a coach holiday firm also based in Stockton.

On December 16, as an existing ntl customer, he asked the phone company to install a new phone system into the Delta premises.

But despite ntl telling him this would only take 20 days, he is still waiting for the work.

He said: "I bought the company hoping to receive plenty of phone orders, but of course I've received very few.

"The drivers are on reduced hours as a result of the lack of work. This protest appears to have worked, though - they've offered to carry out a survey of Delta later today.

"They have to look on the bright side as well - a couple of the lads even popped in to pay their phone bills."

Following the two-hour protest, ntl issued the following statement: "Unfortunately, due to a high demand over the Christmas period, Gary Walton experienced a delay in the confirmation of his order.

"We are happy to say his installation survey is being conducted and the service should be complete by the end of the week.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused."

A spokeswoman admitted the coach drivers' protest had caused some inconvenience.