NEWPORT council's call centre is top of the pops when it comes to customer service. The business won contact centre of the year (up to 100 seats category) at the National Customer Service Awards 2004.

The centre beat off stiff competition from private bankers Coutts & Co, business strategists Experian and healthcare providers Health Sure Group.

Accepting the award, Councillor Glyn Jarvis, cabinet member for public affairs, said: "This is an exceptional achievement by the council and its employees and proves that the public sector can provide levels of customer service that meet and beat the highest performers in the private sector.

"Our success is the result of continual investment and the hard work of the team which established the contact centre and the one which delivers its frontline service.

"City Contact Centre is part of a significant process of change which is transforming the way the council works and interacts with the citizens of Newport."

The National Customer Service Awards were established in 1999 to promote excellence, best practice and innovation. Award winners included Microsoft, Ladbrokes, Amer-ican Express, Tesco,

The Royal Bank of Scotland, Zurich Financial Services and the National Blood Service.

The sponsor of Newport's award category, Jim Bain-bridge, of Garlands Call Centres, said: "Newport council's City Contact Centre has achieved a great deal in a very short time. It has revolutionised interaction with the citizens of Newport and demonstrated excellent levels of customer service.

"The competition was of an exceptionally high standard, and being nominated for this category, let alone winning it, is a huge achievement."

The ceremony was held at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

Sandra Busby, director of the Welsh Contact Centre Forum said: "This is a phenomenal success for a contact centre that has only been running for just over a year.

"This example of excellence is what other Welsh call centres must strive for."

Designed by contact centre technology company Atos Origin, Newport council's contact centre is claimed to be the first of its type to be introduced by a Welsh unitary authority.

Atos Origin's David Rickett said: "The City Contact Centre has been the catalyst for modernising the council."