EXCELLENCE in Swindon Council's environmental health department has been rewarded.

The team has earned a commendation in the first foodlink National Food Safety Communications Award, for its imaginative approach to communicating food hygiene and safety messages.

Using a giant mobile kitchen, the council invited school groups to visit the kitchen and learn about food safety, raising awareness around hand washing, barbecue food safety and cross contamination.

The foodlink Food Safety Communication Awards are a means of highlighting the work undertaken by environmental health officers (EHOs).

The award will be presented at a Conference on food safety on October 18 in London.