A RYEDALE District Council Community Enforcement Officer, Martyn Barker, has won a national award from environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy.

Martyn, who has worked at the authority for a year, has already achieved recognition for his work in community enforcement with the Excellence in Enforcement Award which was announced at an awards ceremony last week.

The award honours an individual who stands out from the crowd and has excelled at Keep Britain Tidy’s Enforcement Academy.

The annual awards recognise the excellent work Network members and other organisations undertake to tackle localised environmental issues such as waste, litter and fly tipping.

Martyn said: “Winning was a bit of a shock but it’s fantastic.

“It couldn’t have happened without the support I’ve got from the team. We’re a very close knit team that work very well together and it’s them that have made everything I’ve done achievable.”

Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, said: “Each year, our award winners show just what is possible when people have the passion and commitment to make a difference to the environment on our doorstep.

“This year is no exception and I would like to congratulate Martyn and thank him all for their incredible work.”

Margaret Wallace, Director of People and Resources for Ryedale District Council said: “This is a fantastic achievement and we’re all delighted that Martyn’s efforts have been recognised with this national award.”

“He is a valued member of our community team which works incredibly hard to deliver our Council Plan aim to make Ryedale sustainable, safe and clean.

“Martyn and the whole team work hard to educate our communities who play a vital role in achieving this aim as well as taking proactive enforcement action against littering, environmental crime and antisocial behaviour when necessary.”