BLACKBURN with Darwen and Lancashire County have both made improvements to their services in the last year, according to the Audit Commission.

Blackburn with Darwen was assessed as an "excellent top performing council" for the second year running by the Audit Commission, in its annual inspection of 150 councils.

It was one of only 12 councils to be awarded top marks for both its overall performance and the quality of its services in the government's "comprehensive performance assessment" of local authorities.

Lancashire County Council was given a "good" rating, which it was previously awarded in 2002. A county spokesman said: "We're good and we're getting better - that's the view of an independent assessment of how Lancashire County Council is performing."

County Council leader Hazel Harding explained: "Once again it has been proved that Lancashire County Council is a very well run organisation."

The Audit Commission examined the quality of local services, competence of management and prospects for improvement in their assessments of all top-tier councils across the country.

It looked at education, social services, environment, housing, benefits and leisure departments, as well as how well councils use their resources.

Blackburn with Darwen's education department was said to have improved one point and was given a four out of four rating. Social care for children and adults was given three out of four, the same as last year, while its environment team also stayed at two out of four. Housing and use of resources were said to have stayed at four out of four, while both benefits and libraries and leisure remained at three out of three.

Although the Commission said Lancashire County Council had made improvements its services were given the same ratings as the previous year. It was given two out of four for social care for children and adults, three out of four for education, environment and libraries and leisure and four out of four for the way it uses resources.

A Commission spokesman said: "Blackburn with Darwen continues to be an excellent council. It has made improvements in many services over the last year, particularly education attainment, recycling and social services.

"Environmental services have shown particular improvement following investment in such initiatives as the Thrash the Trash anti-litter campaign. Based on current plans the council is well placed to continue to improve the way it works and services it provides."

Council Leader Sir Bill Taylor said: "We are pleased to have been judged as excellent overall by the independent Audit Commission again but the most important aspect is that we have improved our education and social services so that they too are both three star rated."

He added: "When we were rated excellent last year, we promised we would never become complacent. The council and its partners have achieved a lot in recent years but we know we need to listen to our residents and improve further to make our Borough an attractive, safe and prosperous place in which to live."

Phil Watson, chief executive of Blackburn with Darwen said: "The council being assessed as excellent by independent inspectors is important because it highlights the council's prominent position in local government."

Blackburn MP Jack Straw said: "I'd like to congratulate Blackburn with Darwen Council. It has a track record of working in partnership with others to regenerate the borough, delivering services that make a practical difference to the quality of local people's lives, and being actively accountable to citizens."

Janet Anderson MP said the "excellent rating" was "well deserved".

Councillor Colin Rigby, leader of the opposition Conservative group said: "This result represents the relationship with our partners, and a commitment from all political groups. There is however a great deal of scope for further improvement.

"What has been measured today is how the borough is run, and how the main services perform, that there has been some improvement in social services and education, the other six indicators remain at the same level as last year."

Councillor Paul Browne, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the Council said it was "a real achievement" adding that "we will be working hard over the next year to make sure that the council delivers even better services in the future".