A SMALL rural parish council is celebrating after being given Quality status.

Little Witley Parish Council, with just 250 electors, is the smallest council to have been given the award by the Worcestershire County Association of Local Councils (CALC).

Little Witley, near Worcester, has a council of seven elected members, who meet six times a year.

It has been praised for its links with the community and presentation of its portfolio of evidence.

There are now 12 Quality status (QS) councils in Worcestershire.

Councils are given the title if they can prove they genuinely represent and actively engage with all parts of the community, providing vision, identity and a sense of belonging.

To come close to receiving it, council clerks must be qualified, 80 per cent of members must be elected, and they must show a certain level of commitment.

John Plumridge, Little Witley's clerk, said the hard work was worth it. "We have our own website and we've almost completed our parish plan," he said.

"All councils have the opportunity to go for QS. We took the decision to do so about two years ago, with the consent of our parishioners of course."

The council was praised for its communications with the community and on the presentation of its portfolio of evidence.

Mr Plumridge said it was now in the running to be rewarded. He said: "QS councils are given more autonomy.

"There's a pilot scheme at the moment under which two of the existing Quality parish councils have been chosen to have litter pickers on their patches.

"The QS is definitely something worth working towards."

Pershore Town Council has also been awarded QS, making it the first town in the county to have been honoured.

The CALC judging panel was particularly impressed by Pershore's quarterly newsletter, which they said was an excellent example of best practice for the larger local council.

The 12 Quality parish and town councils in Worcestershire - Alfrick and Lulsley, Barnt Green, Chaddesley Corbett, Dod-ford with Grafton, Hanley Castle, Hanbury, Kempsey, Lickey and Blackwell, Little Witley, Martley, Pershore Town and Stoke.