Contractors have been told that the Society for Information Technology Managers (SOCITM) has named Edinburgh City Council's local authority site as the best in Scotland, as well as within the top two per cent in the UK.

The site, which is powered by Jadu, its designer, was commended for its simple and helpful "online functionality".

"We are thrilled to have achieved this accolade from SOCITM. It is a milestone for the partnership and close working relationship we have established with Jadu," Andrew Unsworth, the Council's head of e-Government, said.

He added that the public body has worked hard to give customers maximum value and has pursued its aim to make financial cuts by maximising what it does on the web.

SOCITM awarded the site four stars, the maximum rating that it could receive. This was the first time that a council in Scotland had been given this level of recognition.

Another website that recently received an accolade was the site belonging to the Harwoods Group in Sussex, which was awarded the Best dealer Website in the Automotive Management Awards.