COUNCIL staff working with North Yorkshire teenagers have won a second top award.

The student support section of the county council's education department has won an Investor in People charter mark for its commitment to staff development. It also received the award in 1998.

The support section helps students aged 16 and over across the county. It processes about 15,000 applications each year for student loans, tuition fees, travel assistance, equipment and bursaries.

Councillor Carl Les, the county's executive member for post-16 education, said: "I'm absolutely delighted that the dedication of this hard-working team has been rewarded in this way.