STAFF at Worcestershire's main water supplier were awash with pride after the company was named the best in the business.

Severn Trent Water was voted Britain's most admired water company by a poll of water industry experts and analysts.

The water giant was selected from 24 British water and waste water service companies and has been short-listed for the overall most admired company award.

The winner of this section - which saw Severn Trent pitched against 23 other industries - was due to be announced today.

Brian Duckworth, managing director of Severn Trent, said the accolade was a reflection of the hard work and dedication of the company's 4,500 staff.

"It's immense credit to the people who make sure our customers have plentiful, safe supplies of water while protecting the environment from the waste of our communities," he said.

The "most admired" award is judged on nine categories, including financial soundness, ability to attract and retain top talent within the industry, quality of goods and service and long-term investment.

"We serve 8,000,000 people across the heart of England," added Mr Duckworth.

"Their tap water is among the highest quality in the UK and the rivers have never been cleaner - probably since the Industrial Revolution - thanks to our £2.3bn investment in protecting the environment.

"But importantly, we also get the financial end of our business right, as without that we would not be able to fund the £1m-a-day improvement programme for our customers."