A council has been presented with an award in recognition of its approach to health and safety.

Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council has been presented with a gold award as part of a prestigious annual scheme run by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

Cabinet member for finance, innovation and property, Councillor Martin Coffin, presented it to the Mayor, Cllr Sasha Luck at a ceremony at ExCel in London.

As the UK's family safety charity, RoSPA's mission to save lives and reduce injuries covers all ages and stages of life.

In support of this mission, the awards, which date back 58 years, recognise commitment to continuous improvement in accident and ill health prevention at work.

David Rawlins, RoSPA’s awards manager, said: “The RoSPA Awards encourage the raising of occupational health and safety standards across the board.

“I am very pleased that we have again won a gold health and safety award – and this is the fifth year running" - Cllr Martin Coffin

"Organisations that gain recognition for their health and safety management systems, such as Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, contribute to a collective raising of the bar for other organisations to aspire to, and we offer them our congratulations.”

The scheme is open to businesses and organisations of all types and sizes from across the UK and overseas.

Cllr Martin Coffin, at the presentation on Tuesday July 15, said: “I am very pleased that we have again won a gold health and safety award – and this is the fifth year running.

"The RoSPA awards are not just about reducing the number of accidents and cases of ill-health at work; they are also about making sure that organisations have good health and safety management systems in place and we are absolutely committed to maintaining the highest levels of performance in this crucial area.”