FORGET posing, preening men, Ted Sayers is proof that East Lancashire is the home of 'proper' men.

Ted, 30, has just been crowned Real Bloke of Britain 2003 -- beating competition from across the country in a four-week national phone and text vote.

But Ted, of Brownhill Drive, Blackburn, is the first to admit he is a king slob even though he prefers the more endearing term 'king of the couch potatoes'.

The competition was run by the pie-maker Fray Bentos.

Instead of using conventional male models to promote its products, they ran a search for 'real men', or as they say 'good, honest, hardworking fellas; men who enjoy a decent feed, don't worry about their weight or what their hair looks like!'

After winning a regional final, the 23-stone champ represented Blackburn in the national final and posters of him, dressed as Tarzan, were used in a tongue-in-cheek campaign around East Lancashire to get the votes flooding in.

Ted said: "I'm absolutely delighted -- I was so surprised because the other guys I was up against were all so brilliant.

"I was jumping up and down when I found out and things have just been a blur since.

"But I'm so glad the title has come to Lancashire -- now officially home of real blokes. The secret to my body really is down to doing as little as possible and eating what I enjoy eating.

"I do enjoy pies but I'm also partial to a good Indian and a big Sunday morning fry-up.

"You could say I'm a bit of a slob but I prefer to think of myself as a couch potato."

He had special thanks for his friends Dave and Elaine Bradford at Brownhill Post Office who had a bus shelter sized poster of Ted in their window throughout the campaign.

Elaine said: "The poster nearly filled my entire window but it was worth every minute."

Such has been the stir caused by the competition that when Ted contacted Asda stores in Burnley and Accrington to see if he could have the cardboard cut-out they had displayed in their foyer, they told him they had already been snapped up straight after the competition ended.

Ted, an office manager at Brownhills, Whalley New Road, has won a holiday to Florida for his triumph which he will take next year with a couple of friends.

He also won a complete home entertainments system for winning the regional heat in Blackburn.

By ROGER AIREY