Heather Mills' house greed

Oct 15, 2007, 12:30 GMT

Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and Heather Mills (pictured)were Thursday locked in a London courtroom with their lawyers and a judge seeking to hammer out a divorce settlement expected to be the highest in British legal history. © David Gabber / Photorazzi

Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills reached a stalemate in their divorce proceedings over her demands for two more houses.

The Beatles legend - who failed to hammer out a settlement with his estranged wife at London's Royal Court of Justice last week - is refusing to give Heather the pair's £2 million former family home in Hove, East Sussex, and his £6 million Los Angeles property.

A source said: "It has literally come down to bricks and mortar.

"She has asked for two of Sir Paul's estates. She wants two of the properties for herself, even though she already owns a place in Sussex. Paul has said no. They are back to square one."

As well as having a home in Sussex, the 39-year-old charity campaigner also has another home where she lives with the pair's three-year-old daughter Beatrice.

Talks between Heather and Paul - who split in May 2006 following a four-year marriage - are also said to have broken down over the former model's refusal to accept the 65-year-old singer's £50 million offer in return for her silence.

Heather was reportedly willing to sacrifice £14 million from her payout so she could talk about their relationship on US chat shows and write a revealing autobiography.

The final divorce settlement is likely to be one of the biggest in British history.

Paul, who is worth a staggering £825 million, is said to be eager to reach an agreement as quickly as possible in private without resorting to taking the case to open court.

(C) BANG Media International