VOLUNTEERS have been praised for their part in making Braintree one of the tidiest places in the country.

Braintree Council won Local Authority of the Year at the Keep Britain Tidy Awards on Wednesday for the “innovative” way it deals with litter and promotes anti-litter campaigns.

Wendy Schmitt, cabinet member for environment and place, said: “We’ve always been a forward-thinking authority when it comes to our education and awareness raising campaigns which challenge attitudes towards litter but we also back it up with effective enforcement.

“Most importantly, we’re helped by 200 Green Heart Champions who are our invaluable volunteers.

“This award is for everyone in our community who work alongside us to keep the district clean including our residents, our town and parish councils, our partners and our businesses.”

Braintree Council won the award jointly with the City of London.

Judges from Keep Britain Tidy praised the council’s “innovative approaches to enhancing the district, investing in key services, robust campaigns and more effective enforcement”.

Mrs Schmitt said littering in Braintree fell by 83 per cent last year compared with 41 per cent across Essex.

She said: “We’re proud to be trailblazers.

“We’ve led on a joint Love Essex anti-litter campaign for the past two years and have seen 15 Essex local authorities and more than 300 businesses get on board.

“The campaign reminded people to bin their litter responsibly or risk a fine for littering from £75.”

She added: “We’ve been contacted by councils, even globally, asking about our success and we continue to work with other organisations to share best practice.”

Allison Ogden-Newton, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said: “It has been fantastic to see the work local authorities and other organisations are doing to help improve the environment.

“We have heard about innovative and ground-breaking ideas that are making such a difference to so many local areas.

"An event such as the Keep Britain Tidy Network Conference and Awards is the opportunity to not only communicate and share ideas, but to also recognise the hard work that they are putting in to make a difference now and in the future.”