Athlete advert row will run and run.

Byline: By Graham Hiscott

Former world 10,000m record holder David Bedford has won his fight with operators of 118 118 directory inquiries over its adverts.

Ofcom, the telecommunications regulator, upheld an earlier ruling that the adverts caricature Mr Bedford "by way of a comically, exaggerated representation of him".

Mr Bedford immediately announced he would launch court action against The Number, operator of 118 118, for damages.

Despite the ruling, it appears The Number will be free to continue to use the two "mystery runners" with their long hair and droopy moustaches. Ofcom said its decision that the company had breached the Advertising Standards Code was punishment enough and banning the adverts would be disproportionate.

Mr Bedford interpreted the ruling otherwise, saying "no new adverts using the mystery runners can be shown in the future without further breaches of the code".

The Number has always insisted the characters in its adverts were based on numerous runners from the 1970s, including American athlete Steve Prefontaine.

Ofcom, however, said the TV adverts "do caricature David Bedford by way of a comically, exaggerated representation of him looking like he did in the 1970s, sporting a hairstyle and facial hair like his at the time and wearing running kit almost identical to the running kit that was distinctively worn by him at the time".

It conceded the caricature was "not fortuitous" to Mr Bedford but decided he "had not necessarily suffered actual financial harm as a result". The decision follows an appeal by The Number against a ruling by the Independent Television Commission, whose powers Ofcom took over last December, in favour of Mr Bedford.

Mr Bedford, now race director of the Flora London marathon, said: "The Number has ripped off my image."

A spokesman for The Number said: "We welcome Ofcom's final decision to permit The Number to continue to use the adverts for 118 118 directory inquiries."