The new voice of the clock

When the search began for a new Speaking Clock voice, many people had hoped it might have a regional accent. But it belongs to an aspiring author from Sussex -who lives barely a mile from her predecessor.

Sara Mendes da Costa has been chosen from 18,405 applicants nationwide to replace Brian Cobby, who has told the time for 21 years on the 123 service. When the hunt for his successor was announced, Mr Cobby, 77, said: "Things have changed over all these years and I think my voice is a bit posh now."

Yet despite strong competition from a Scottish contestant, the seven judges - who included Mr Cobby - picked Miss Mendes da Costa. She lives in Hove, East Sussex, just a stone's throw from Mr Cobby in Brighton.

Miss Mendes da Costa said: "I thought it might count against me that I was a Southerner. It was quite right that they should consider every accent. But it's all about getting the right voice for the job.

"Brian has the most fantastic voice. He's a hard act to follow and I hope we can meet up at some stage."

The competition was run by Terry Wogan on his Radio 2 breakfast show, on which listeners were invited to give their own ten-second rendition of the famous phrase which begins "At the third stroke..."

The phone-in contest raised £200,000 for last week's BBC's Children in Need appeal.

Entries included a pirate, an impersonation of the time-travelling Doctor Who, and many that were whispered late at night.

Fifteen were put before the seven judges, who, as well as Mr Cobby, included BBC newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky, BT chairman Sir Christopher Bland and the voice of the National Lottery draw, Alan Dedicoat. They each drew up a shortlist of three and every judge picked Miss Mendes da Costa and a Scottish male contestant, believed to be James McQueen, a gift-shop owner now living in Sevenstones, Cornwall.

The two voices went head-to-head and the judges selected Miss Mendes da Costa unanimously.

She becomes only the fourth person to become a permanent voice of the Speaking Clock since it was established in 1936, but she will not be paid a penny for her work for BT.

Instead, the 40-year-old is hoping the role will boost her work as a part-time voiceover artist and allow her to subsidise her fledgling career as a novelist.

She said: "The first telephone call I ever made was to the Speaking Clock. I think I was about five. I don't know what it's like now for children but I wasn't allowed to use the telephone, so it was very exciting when I was allowed to dial TIM, as it was called then."