Tight fit as phone box record is crushed

A BIZARRE world record was broken yesterday when 14 volunteers squeezed into a phone box in a stunt to publicise a show at a top arts festival.

Curious tourists gathered on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile as volunteers slowly shoehorned themselves into the tiny space.

At first, it looked like the stunt, dreamed up by Kabosh Theatre to promote their Fringe festival production of Eugene Ionesco’s Rhinoceros, was doomed to failure.

A first attempt reached 12, equalling an unofficial world record set in Germany in 1997, before a volunteer complained of claustrophobia and demanded to be let out.

The organisers then struggled to recruit volunteers from the audience of onlookers as the booth became more and more cramped.

But it eventually filled up over 10 minutes and as the volunteers, including 2 children, were counted out of the box, it became apparent a new landmark had been set. This prompted a big cheer from the volunteers, many of whom looked relieved to have emerged unscathed from the ordeal.