Manchester City Council's website has been voted as one of the best in Europe, winning a People's Lovie Award.

The council website was chosen as the best in the government category and was also given a silver award by the judges - the highest classification given to any site in the category.

The new-look website was designed to put the user first and was developed after a review of how people interacted with the council. It was tested by ordinary local people from a range of backgrounds, and was also tested by accessibility-experts.

Manchester City Council’s website won the government category at The Lovie Awards.

Nigel Murphy, Manchester City Council's executive member for environment, said: 'This is a fantastic achievement that gives testimony to the quality and success of the new website. That it has been judged by industry experts as one of Europe's top government sites, while also being voted for by users of the website, is a huge accolade.

'Unsurpassed in its design and functionality, our new look site has become the benchmark of local government websites , making ease of use the main priority for our users in an era when the internet is gearing increasingly towards tablets and smart phones.'

The Lovie Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS).