THEY have been called many things, but now women who seduce rich and powerful men in order to climb the career ladder have a title all of their own.

And it's all thanks to a Gwent lecturer.

In a competition to find a new word to be included in the Collins online dictionary, 'geribanger' came up trumps.

Invented by Mary Cousins, an English lecturer at Coleg Gwent's City of Newport campus, it means: "A woman who furthers her career by seducing older men of influence and power."

The term won first prize in a New Word Challenge competition, which invited people to coin new words, known as neologisms.

It is now hoped it will become used in everyday language.

Ms Cousins said: "My inspiration came from recent examples of women who have been in the spotlight because of their involvement with high-profile politicians.

"I also invented 'heinekinder', which means 'badly behaved children of the lager-drinking classes', but the judges thought 'geribanger' had the best chance of catching on.

"I want it to appear in the paper dictionary next."

Ms Cousins entered the competition, run by The Independent on Sunday, because she has always loved language. It was judged by Nigel Rees, chairman of Radio Four's Quote Unquote, Jeremy Butterfield, editor-in-chief of Collins English Dictionaries, and Suzy Feay, literary editor of The Independent on Sunday.

Despite being proud of her recent invention, however, Ms Cousins insists she's not a geribanger herself.

"I'm far too geriatric for that!" she said.