Bradford residents have defended their accent after it was named one of the least sexiest in the country.

The city was ranked third from the bottom in a poll to find the most attractive accent in the UK in the poll by hotel chain Travelodge.

Singer Cheryl Cole is believed to have helped the Geordie accent to top the survey but it appears the dialect of bandmate Kimberley Walsh, who hails from Allerton, Bradford, is not quite so popular.

But people out in Bradford city centre yesterday were keen to defend the accent describing it as “friendly” and “down to earth”.

The least attractive accent in the poll was Birmingham, followed by Wolverhampton and Bradford, with accents in Wakefield, Coventry, Cambridge, Hull and Sheffield also found to be unpopular.

Clive Upton, Professor of English Language of Leeds University, who has researched dialects and accents in the UK, said: “It’s pretty likely that most people around the country can’t identify a Bradford accent. They hear something Yorkshire and they wouldn’t know if it was Bradford, Sheffield, Doncaster or Northallerton.

“If people can identify a particular individual who they think is attractive then they will go for that. All you need is a pop singer or a TV personality or TV series that people are following to boost an accent’s appeal. In other words there’s fashion involved in this.

“If you ask people about honesty then places like Birmingham and Yorkshire would get a totally different rating. People like straight talking ‘call a spade a spade’ accents that they feel they can trust.

“Everything needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.”

Spokesman for Travelodge, Shakila Ahmed, said: “No doubt the nation’s sweetheart Cheryl Cole has certainly helped to place the jolly Geordie accent as top of the UK’s regional accents listing as we cannot get enough of her.”

Last month Bradford was branded “dangerous, ugly and boring” in a survey of Travelodge customers and described as the most unpopular city for tourists in the UK – findings that were ridiculed by Bradford Council chiefs.

WHAT YOU THINK

I love the Bradford accent. More people should speak it. Young ones these days don’t speak it, they have their own language. It isn’t as broad as it used to be. I love it, it’s my favourite accent apart from Irish. Julie Peel, 43, of Heaton

It’s a bit common but I like it. I like Geordie accents. I don’t like Scottish accents, they’re my least favourite. I do like the Bradford accent, it’s just down to earth because it’s so common. Jessica Lambert, 17, of Queensbury

I think it’s quite friendly, it’s not too bad. I come from Yorkshire so my favourite accent’s got to be Yorkshire. I think the Irish accent’s nice. It’s like various different regions in Yorkshire. I like the West Yorkshire accent but not the South Yorkshire accent, it’s too broad. Carole Reynolds-Jones, 65, visiting from Devon

I’m not really bothered as long as you can understand what people are saying. I don’t think the Bradford accent’s sexy. I like the Irish accent, you can get a bit of fun out of them. People talk how they talk, as long as you can understand what they are saying it’s okay. David Heenam, 57, of Holme Wood, Bradford

What I like about the Bradford accent is the Yorkshire feel. There are a lot of boroughs outside the city like Heaton and Queensbury which bring in the old Yorkshire accent. Michael Nicholson, 50, of Heaton

There’s nothing wrong with the Bradford accent. I think you can’t understand people with a proper Cockney accent. The Bradford accent’s very friendly. Donald Rushworth, 75, of Allerton, Bradford

They say the Yorkshire accent is the friendliest in the world so what can you say really. I like my accent and I wouldn’t be willing to change it. It comes across a lot friendlier than other accents. You don’t pronounce things as freely and it’s nice. I do like the London accent too. Fenn Settle, 17, of Buttershaw, Bradford