Spen Valley residents were among those getting a big thank you from Kirklees Council after its waste management service was officially declared the best in the country.

Kirklees became the first council to win a three-star rating for its waste management service from Government inspectors. The service was rated excellent with promising prospects for improvement.

The inspection team praised the service for its 'efficient, high quality waste management, refuse collection and street cleansing services'.

Diane Neale, commissioning inspector for the northern region, said: "We are delighted to award Kirklees the top rating for its waste management service. It combines many excellent features and has a track record of developing, managing and delivering ambitious projects."

Councillor David Payne, the cabinet member with responsibility for Environment and Transportation, said: "This top rating is a credit to everyone who lives in Kirklees and couldn't have been achieved with the co-operation of householders, the hard work of employees, the input from our partner SITA/Kirklees and the efforts of elected members.''

He added: "I particularly want to thank the residents and employees of Kirklees."

The service diverts 58 per cent of waste away from landfill through initiatives such as a materials recycling, a waste-to-energy plant, a composting site and new household waste sites.