Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats are celebrating after they were recognised at the party’s yearly awards ceremony.

The local Liberal Democrats Council group received a Special Commendation prize in the national Council Group of the Year category in the local government awards unveiled at the party conference in Harrogate.

Local councillors received the award this week when Richard Kemp, the Lib Dem leader at the Local Government Association, paid a visit to Walthamstow Town hall to congratulate the group and present the certificate from party leader Nick Clegg.

The prize is reward for an excellent year for the local Liberal Democrats, who won four our of the five local by-elections in 2008 and saw the Council given a ‘Four Star’ rating in its most recent independent inspection.  Before the Lib Dems joined the Council in administration in 2002, the previously Labour-run council had been rated as one of the worst in the country.