Cornwall Council has won a prestigious award for its stray dog services for a sixth consecutive year.

The council claimed  gold at the RSPCA’s PawPrints Awards, which were celebrating their 15th year.

A ceremony for local authorities and public sector organisations was held at the Malmaison Hotel in Leeds.

In total, 92 awards were handed out to public sector bodies and to mark its 15th year, 36 special platinum awards were also given to those who have received gold standard PawPrints for five or more years consecutively, of which went to Cornwall Council.

Lee Gingell, public affairs manager for local government at the RSPCA, said: “We wanted to do something really special for those who have received awards year after year for their commitment to animal welfare.

"There were a whopping 36 public bodies who have won gold for the last five years or more which is an incredible achievement.

"The awards recognise local authorities, housing providers and contingency planners who all play a key role in delivering animal welfare especially in the face of steep challenges.

"A lot of this work goes on behind the scenes and so the idea of the PawPrints awards is to shine a spotlight on those going the extra mile for animals, recognising and celebrating all their efforts. 

“The awards ceremony was a great success showcasing how important partnership working is to improving animal welfare, and this is a key part of our forward looking strategy.”