LEDBURY Poetry Festival has written to the Queen and Gordon Brown in a bid to ensure that the next Poet Laureate will be female, when Andrew Motion's successor is chosen in 2009.

And a campaign to put a woman in the post will be formally announced at this year's festival, with a debate on the subject.

Festival director Chloe Garner said: "I think it is important that young girls see the position of Poet Laureate as something they can aspire to.

"Isn't it about time that we officially recognise that women also write poetry?"

Andrew Motion has been Poet Laureate since 1999, and he accepted the post for a ten year period.

Before then, Poet Laureate's such as John Masefield and Ted Hughes held the post from appointment to death.

But the rules changed during Tony Blair's first term as Prime Minister.

A letter has been sent from the Poetry Festival sent to Buckingham Palace, Downing Street, David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Andy Burnham, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Festival director, Chloe Garner wrote: "There has been no female Poet Laureate since the Royal Household created the formal position for John Dryden in 1668.

"Nothing in the rules actually debars women and there are many splendid female poets from all generations, writing and performing in Britain today.

"A BBC Radio 4 poll on the subject, back in 1998, nominated Wendy Cope head of her male rivals as the poet they would most like to see in the job, while a list of other front runners included Carol Ann Duffy, Lavinia Greenlaw, Jackie Kay, Ruth Padel and Fleur Adcock."

Downing Street has replied already.

A letter from Number 10 said: "The Prime Minister was grateful for your comments. which will be taken fully into account at the appropriate time."

Andy Burnham said: "This is a timely opportunity to stimulate public interest in the role of the Poet Laureate and poetry in general. I am keep to encourage public engagement and debate about the art form and the Festival will provide a valuable forum for discussion on the topic."