As you say, the wording is incorrect and therefore shouldn't be used.
Funnily enough there's no laid down phraseology in the MATS pt.1 for VOR approaches. However, giving out the radial when it's not really necessary (the pilot will be operating from an Approach Plate after all) is rife with possibilities for misunderstanding. If comms are poor it might be misheard, and taken as an approval to depart from the published procedure on a totally different radial.
I would use the phraseology "Report established inbound on the Final Approach Track" - it's correct from the ATC point of view, and leaves the interpretation of the approach up to the crew - again the correct division of responsibility.
Having said that - should DF indications show that there's a possibility the aircraft was displaced from the correct path after reporting established then obviously I would query it. However, and again to stop the "wrong way radial" confusion then I think I would use the phrase "Confirm established on the 044 TRACK inbound" - again alleviating any possibility of radial confusion.