SENIOR councillors in Darlington have praised the performance of the authority.

Dramatic improvements by Darlington Borough Council has led to it being named the best performer in the country in a national newspaper poll last month.

At a meeting of the council's cabinet on Tuesday, council leader Councillor John Williams highlighted the achievement, saying the council should be very pleased, but not complacent.

Commenting on its improvements, Coun Williams paid tribute to all council staff who had helped deliver its services.

The performance of the council has been highlighted in the first report of the three-year corporate plan, devised in June last year to improve services for the people of Darlington.