Welsh poets call off strike

Welsh bards are claiming a victory after the BBC agreed to cut the amount of English on its Welsh radio service.

The poets refused to take part in the recording of a new series of radio shows in protest at BBC Radio Cymru using too much spoken English. But they have called off a five-week strike after the BBC promised to ban English jingles and to play fewer English records. A Radio Cymru spokesman said it was fantasy to suggest the BBC had given in. "Most of the changes introduced ... have been in direct response to listeners' wishes," he said.