Falmouth's town clerk, Mark Williams, has been confirmed as the best of the best after being named UK Clerk of the Year at the recent Star Councils 2017 Awards.

The awards are organised by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), whose chair Sue Baxter said at the ceremony in Milton Keynes: "The awards highlight the good work local councils are doing across the country and this year has seen a record number of nominations. The standard of entries is a testament to councils’ dedication to improvement, community leadership and service delivery."

The judges said that Mark had seen Falmouth Town Council grow and he was now responsible for council projects ranging from the award winning art gallery, as part of comprehensive community cultural services delivery, to a town environmental team that has provided Falmouth’s award winning parks and gardens.

"We were really impressed by the way Mr Williams had worked innovatively with the Public Works Loan Board," they said. "On a wider point that is going to significantly advantage the sector in terms of the work that they can undertake, particularly given current financial constraints.

"We were very impressed with the amount Mr Williams had done with double devolution in Cornwall and the way he used it to help guide the process for other councils, he’s clearly a centre point for them there."

Mark said: "It is a real honour to be recognised in this way. This award demonstrates the pro-action that there is in the council chamber to try and ensure services are retained for our community and the effectiveness of the council’s staff in carrying out that desire."

The council's success has been tinged with sadness, however, following the death of Candy Atherton, who had accompanied Mark to Milton Keynes. "It was a bitter sweet evening for me with the passing of Councillor Candy Atherton who had done so much on behalf of the community," said Mark. "She will be missed."

Mayor Grenville Chappel said ‘As the town councillors we make decisions on policy and what our residents tell us they want for Falmouth, this is led by advice and guidance from our staff overseen by Mark. The way he has led an ever growing team and his increasing work load has been key to the success of Falmouth during these ever more difficult times. This award is well deserved."