TAKE your pick between the hiring of a posh Porsche or a cheery charlady.

And all you need to qualify for these choices is to be one of the 2,500 who work for Nestl Rowntree at York - and to have created a brilliant idea for the company which really works.

They are just two of four main prizes in Nestle's new Innovations Ovations award scheme, which was launched today.

The prizes are designed to inspire innovative thinkers into, for instance, creating a better-designed widget for the Black Magic line, finding a way of better utilising office space or organising a more efficient way of dealing with customer efficiencies.

Whatever the idea, the winners will be offered either the hire of a fully insured luxury car such as this Porsche, a domestic "treasure" to help around the house or do the cleaning, gardening or cooking; a balloon ride or a full week's paid holiday on top of normal allowance.

There will be two runners-up prizes of £100 Ovation Supercheques which they can swap for a host of entertainment and leisure opportunities.

Steering the scheme is Paul Sigsworth, Nestl Rowntree's creativity development manager while consumer services manager, Chris Bishop, posed as Mrs Mopp. Not that she'll be doing the cleaning, but the pose earned her about £50 in sponsorship from her colleagues, money which is going to Children in Crisis.

Updated: 11:48 Tuesday, March 12, 2002