BUSINESSES in Worcester were praised for their excellent customer service at an awards ceremony.

The new Worcester BID Awards incorporated the sixth customer service assessment prizes.

Run by Worcester BID (Business Improvement District), the highest rated businesses were invited to attend the awards at the Worcestershire County Cricket Club on Wednesday.

Category winners:

WORCESTER BID AWARDS

•Business in the Community: Parkinson Wright Quality Solicitors

•Best Use of Social Media: Bodega Cantina

•Green Business of the Year: Iapetus Gallery

CUSTOMER SERVICE ASSESSMENTS

•Dining: Chesters Restaurant

•Retail Business Visit: Arrange My Escape

•Email Enquiry: Toys and Games of Worcester, Iapetus Gallery and Lush Cosmetics

•Telephone Enquiry: Anja Potze Fine Jewellery and Scaiff LLP Solicitors

•Personnel Review: Crowngate Shopping Centre

On winning the Business in the Community BID award, Cyril Arridge, managing partner at Parkinson Wright Quality Solicitors, said: “We nominated Suzanne for this award due to her commitment and passion for helping sufferers of domestic abuse.

"We are very proud of Suzanne and the work she does for our most vulnerable clients. She could not provide the help that she does in the way that she does if she did not have such a strong sense of vocation.”

Chris Marks, director of Iapetus Gallery, said: "We are delighted to have won both the Green Business of the Year and Email Enquiry awards. We are particularly proud of our environmental ethics - championing hand crafted jewellery, gifts and homeware that does not use or produce plastic waste is a core part of our business and has been for 13 years."

Phoebe Dawson, CEO of Worcester BID, said “It has been our great pleasure to bring so many of our BID members together to celebrate in this way. These awards are an opportunity to acknowledge the fantastic businesses which make up our city centre as well as recognise those going that extra mile, helping to make Worcester the wonderful city it is.”