A CITY councillor was picked from a pool of hundreds of competitors to win a national award.

Oxford City Council deputy leader Ed Turner was hailed last night at a swish ceremony that celebrated him as 'district councillor of the year' in the C'llr Achievement Awards.

The Rose Hill and Iffley councillor was awarded a trophy last night at the Guildhall in London, mixing with some of the 200 other nominees in nine categories.

A spokesperson for think tank Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), which runs the awards alongside fund manager CCLA, said: "Councillor Turner was selected for being a committed advocate for his constituents and bringing about positive change in his community.

"As a ward councillor, he fought for and has seen through an ambitious programme of physical and social transformation that has resulted in total investment of around £30 million to improve the lives and cohesion of a deprived and demographically diverse and changing community."

A record number of nominations were received for the annual awards, which are in their seventh year.

LGiU chief executive Jonathan Carr-West said: “The winners showcase the best of the best across local government. These are the councillors who are working tirelessly to make our communities better places to live.

"For the past seven years we have been honouring the work of councillors, but this year’s winners have really pushed the envelope. It is such a privilege to honour their achievements. 

"We congratulate Councillor Turner on his outstanding work and are looking forward to hearing about his future accomplishments.”