A NORTH-EAST building society has won an award for services to the community.

Darlington Building Society has become the first mortgage lender to win the Mortgage Finance Gazette's community services award, for regional lenders, in successive years.

At the same event, it was also successful in the arts award category, when it was presented with the runners-up award.

Collecting the awards from BBC television newsreader Anna Ford, Darlington Building Society chief executive Peter Rowley said: "It is a pleasure to receive national acclaim for our efforts to support the communities of which we are part.

"Darlington Building Society is dedicated to looking after local interests and we will continue to work with local people, businesses and organisations to support our local communities over the coming years."