A NORTH-East council has been praised for its work in making pensions and benefits more accessible to ethnic minorities.

Darlington Borough Council's benefits team was one of ten local departments across the country to take part in a study which looked at the way councils implemented legislation brought in by the Race Relations Act.

Housing Benefit Minister Malcolm Wicks said: "I am pleased to see councils taking their obligations under the Race Relations Act seriously but all councils still need to do more."

Paul Baldwin, cabinet member for housing on Darlington Borough Council, said: "We have engaged independent consultants to carry out a study of our work with residents from ethnic communities and their report is favourable, but we believe we can still do more to improve and to encourage more black and ethnic minority groups to claim benefits and we will be drawing up an action plan in the coming months."