The centuries-old tradition of open-cry auctioneering has finally come to an end for Bradford's wool merchants after the decision was taken to computerise the process.

The British Wool Marketing Board, based on the Euroway Trading Estate, has finally abandoned the tradition in a bid to bring the organisation into the 21st Century.

But it is a far cry from the days when merchants used to pack into the city's Wool Exchange to bargain for a good price.

And today one local firm of merchants launched a blistering attack on the decision, branding it "nonsensical".

Under the new system, merchants sit at computer screens as an electronic voice shouts out the numbers, and they press a button to make a bid.

Some fear the next stage will be to shift the entire process onto the internet where British farmers will compete with foreign competitors.

A spokesman for the BWMB said the decision to abolish 'open cry' followed an extensive trial period. The spokesman admitted the change had "transformed the culture" at the market but was gradually being accepted.

"To start with there was a lot of scepticism at what we were doing because it was a huge, huge change," she said. "But it was time to move on for all sorts of reasons, and now we are selling everything on certificate.

"From our point of view, it made sense. But the atmosphere is different now and it is always sad when something traditional goes."

But Martin Curtis, managing director of Addingham-based Curtis Wool Direct, blasted the new system.

Mr Curtis, whose group employs around 200, said the decision had been imposed by the BWMB against the wishes of many merchants.

But Barry Whitaker, chairman of Bradford textile machinery firm Allertex, said the decision was good news for the wool industry.

"The textile industry is very traditional and it has taken a while for merchants to accept the changes but the BWMB have to move forward from the old system," he said.