UNIVERSITY experts are taking part in a conference today to encourage more working class youngsters to enter higher education.

The conference, in Bradford, will look at how universities can work with school teachers to encourage applications from children whose families have little or no history of higher education.

Issues to be covered include helping gifted and talented pupils to aim high. Speakers from Durham University will join colleagues from Oxford and Cambridge and University College London for the event.

Since the political row over alleged elitism in institutions such as Oxford - sparked by talented Tyneside pupil Laura Spence's failure to win a place - Durham has been keen to highlight its efforts to "widen participation".

It works in North-East schools and holds summer camps for aspiring students. It says 23 per cent of its students are from the region.

Richard Taylor, the university's head of schools liaison, said: "We want as many people as possible to consider leading universities as a viable option for them.

"The idea for this conference came about through informal discussions between the universities. If it is a success, we would like to see it be an annual event."