Council bans 'lover-ly' welcome

The council's decision has angered residents

Workers at council offices in Bristol have been banned from calling visitors 'love' and 'dear'.

Receptionists and security staff at the city council have been told not to use local terms of endearment because they are unprofessional.

Instead of greeting people with traditional Bristolian pet names such as 'my lover', 'my babby' and 'my treasure', workers must address them as sir or madam.

But the decision has puzzled the city's residents, who fear the council may be 'sanitising' their distinctive local dialect.

I think it would be quite difficult to stop staff being friendly: as long as there is respect - that is the key message Gary Hopkins Deputy Leader

"I think they should be encouraging it, not banning it," said Bristolian Pat Dallimore.

"We get people from America coming to visit us with our quaint old English accent - that is good for the city.

"It is stupid - how can they ban people from talking?"

The council says the change, which it hopes will make its workers seem more professional and courteous, is a suggestion, and not an order.

'Bristol blood'

Gary Hopkins, Lib Dem councillor and deputy leader, told the BBC: "I think it would be quite difficult to stop staff being friendly: as long as there is respect - that is the key message."

Monica Jefferies, originally from Bristol, but now living in the North East, said: "I'm proud that I have Bristol blood, even though I have lived in the north east for the last 34 years.

"It's all very politically-correct that the council can stop their staff from calling people lover.

"Come to the north east. We're proud to call you 'pet' or 'flower'."