Bradford's Capital of Culture team has been swamped with requests from the public for merchandise promoting the district's Europe 2008 bid.

There is growing demand for posters, car stickers, badges and beer mats sporting Bradford 2008 logos and slogans.

Businesses, colleges and schools are keen to distribute merchandise among employees and students, and put up posters around their premises.

And the culture team is having special 2008 ties manufactured, following a Telegraph & Argus report about Bradford television presenter Richard Whiteley's specially-made Capital of Culture tie.

Designs of five Bradford landscapes, made up of hundreds of tiny photographs of people backing the bid which appeared on billboards, are being made into postcards.

The designs, based on a David Hockney photo montage, are of Ilkley's Cow and Calf Rocks, Salts Mill, Keighley Cricket Club ground, the Alhambra, and the state-of-the-art bus shelters on Manchester Road.

And billboards featuring slogans such as "Prepare To Be Amazed" and "Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover" are being made into posters.

"We've been inundated with requests for all kinds of merchandise," said Sonia Lewis, of Bradford's bid team.

"Businesses and schools want posters for their buildings, and bars and restaurants want beer mats. And since Gareth Gates helped to deliver our bid in March young people have been keen to wear Bradford T-shirts and badges.

"The billboards featuring the photo montages and the One Landscape, Many Views slogan are really popular and we're having these made into packs of five postcards.

"Bradford University plans to send them out to new students, giving them a flavour of the district.

"And since Richard Whiteley sported his Capital of Culture tie in the T&A we've had lots of requests for them, mainly from councillors, MPs and businessmen. We will be bringing out ties and cufflinks to go with them.

"We're delighted at the response from people to the merchandise. It all helps to spread the word about Bradford and its bid, which needs to be kept very much in the public eye - on a local level and across the UK - as we await the announcement of the shortlist this autumn."