'EY UP, heaven knows what Bradley Hardacre would have made of it, but it looks like there could be trouble at t'mill.

It appears strong regional accents are a distinct disadvantage to people who want to succeed in business.

At least that's the conclusion drawn from research by the Aziz Corporation, which revealed that businessmen with a London or Home Counties accent are judged most likely to be successful, closely followed by those with a Scottish accent.

Indeed, American or European accents are preferred to most UK regional ones, according to the survey of business people.

But before Tyke entrepreneurs get too upset it should be pointed out that they do not come bottom of the accent table - that "distinction" belongs to businessmen from Liverpool, with a Welsh accent also being considered a handicap in business.