Vodafone gets a C&W bid break

Vodafone must decide whether to bid for Britain's Cable & Wireless Worldwide by 29 March after the Takeover Panel extended the deadline yesterday to the same date set for potential rival bidder Tata Communications.

The panel had set a "put up or shut up" deadline for 12 March after Vodafone said in February that it was in the early stage of considering whether or not to make a cash bid. The panel granted the extension yesterday at the request of Cable & Wireless Worldwide, the corporate telecoms services group said.