By 'eck. Bradford folk have always known there's nowt wrong with a Yorkshire accent.

Now one of the district's biggest employers is speaking up for the good old West Riding lingo.

Grattan, the mail order giant which employs 800 people to handle 20,000 inquiries at its Bradford offices, is encouraging new recruits to be proud of their Bradford twang. Company bosses say the accent is endearing and easier on the ear than accent-free monotones.

Call centre staff, as part of their four weeks of training, are being encouraged to use their Yorkshire accents to ensure they sound as natural as possible.

Training Manager Margaret Joyce said staff were coached to speak clearly.

"The Yorkshire accent is naturally friendly and I think most people feel comfortable upon hearing a Northern accent," she said.

Staff undergo a rigorous training programme which involves learning how to sound polite and helpful. The company employs people from diverse backgrounds including Geordies and Scots.

They are not asked to speak with a Yorkshire tongue, but are encouraged to flaunt their accent, as long as it is clear and can be understood.

One of the managers, Order Entry Controller Pat Thommsen, said the programme allowed them to come across naturally to customers over the phone.

She said: "Staff are taught to deal with people across the whole of England and are aware there are people with different accents and dialects.

"We receive a lot of letters from customers who thank us for being so polite."

Marie Malcom, 21, of Wibsey and Mohammed Seedat, 20, of Great Horton, joined the company in December. They said they were amazed to hear the different accents they handled on the telephone and said many customers had complimented them on the sound of their voices.

But the Yorkshire accent isn't music to everyone's ears. Elocution expert Patricia Henny, of Keighley, believes it is fine as long as people can understand you.

But she believes broad accents can sound aggressive. "There is a particular problem in Bradford with language - especially amongst children who drop the ending of words by saying don for don't and won for won't," she said.

According to Mrs Henny, many adults come to her to improve their language as some employers regard employees with a Yorkshire accent as thick, unworthy of promotion and incapable of doing their job. "I am not saying this is right, but it does knock their confidence," she said.

She applauded Grattan for the move but said it was all down to personal taste.

"But the most important thing is whether you can be understood - if not there will be a communication problem," she said.

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