York-based tour operator Superbreak Mini Holidays today scooped a prestigious award at the tourism industry's Oscars.

It is the third year running the company has been awarded the top operator title at the English Tourism Council's England for Excellence awards.

A spokeswoman for the company, which books short breaks in the UK and employs more than 100 people at its Piccadilly offices, said: "To win this award for the third consecutive year is very pleasing for us as we have all put in a lot of hard work over the years."

Football champions Manchester United added a new prize to their bulging trophy cabinet.

The club that created history by winning three major trophies last season received an England For Excellence award for outstanding contribution to tourism.

"Manchester United have done much to raise both England's and Manchester's profile nationally and internationally," said the ETC today.

The council went on: "A staggering six million people support the team in the UK alone and millions more ardent fans can be found the world over."

The club's chairman, Michael Edwards, was picking up the award in London today.

Among the winners of awards was the Royal Horticultural Society Gardens at Wisley, near Woking in Surrey, which was voted visitor attraction of the year for attractions which received more than 100,000 visitors.

Bed-and-breakfast establishment winner was Number Thirty-One in Howard Place, Carlisle, Cumbria, while Woolacombe in Devon took the family holiday of the year.

The large-chain hotel of the year went to the London Marriott at County Hall in London, while the award for outstanding customer service went to Eduardo Loigorri, the restaurant manager at the Sandbanks Hotel at Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.