MANCHESTER'S Carol Ann Duffy was today confirmed as the new Poet Laureate - the first woman in the post's 341-year history.

The Manchester Metropolitan University lecturer succeeds Andrew Motion, who has held the post since 1999.

She was widely expected to take over the role and today confirmed she had accepted the job during a radio interview.

Duffy said: "I'm really thrilled to have it properly announced on Woman's Hour and here in Manchester."

She said had thought 'long and hard' before saying she would take the job. I look on it as a recognition of the great woman poets we have writing now," she said. "I've decided to accept it for that reason."

The 53-year-old is the latest in a line of poets which began with John Dryden and has included such great names as William Wordsworth, Alfred Lord Tennyson and John Betjeman.

Other names being circulated for the £5,000-a-year job had included Simon Armitage, Roger McGough and Benjamin Zephaniah.

The laureate is officially appointed by the Queen on the advice of the government and until Tony Blair established a 10-year tenure in 1999, was a job for life. Part of the laureate's remit is to write poems to commemorate major state occasions.

The job comes with a 'butt of sack' - which nowadays translates into around 600 bottles of sherry. Duffy said: "Andrew (Motion) hasn't had his yet so I've asked for mine up front."

Everything you wanted to know about the Poet Laureate