Employees at a Newton Aycliffe factory have won an international award for the plant's environmental, health and safety record.

The 3M company, which operates in more than 60 countries, has singled out the Aycliffe site as the first global winner of its new leadership award.

This recognises exceptional efforts to support the company's commitment to "respecting our social and physical environment" and "being a company employees can be proud of".

Among the site's major achievements has been improvement in the area of accident prevention.

Over the past ten years, the average period between recordable injury accidents among employees has more than doubled, from 222,553 hours to 475,925 hours.

At the same time, it has pioneered a number of environmental improvements both on site and in the local community.

Team leader Carola Pirt from the Heighington Lane site flew out to 3M's Minnesota headquarters in the US to receive the award from chief executive officer Jim McNerney.

Site manager Phil Wild said the workforce was very proud to have won the company's global award.

He said: "The successes we have had with our health and safety and environmental achievements rely on the team effort of everyone working at the Aycliffe site. The award is a great tribute to them all."

The site, which employs about 360 people manufacturing respiratory protection products and environmental protection materials, is nationally renowned for its health and safety record.

Last year it was one of only nine plants from the whole of the UK manufacturing industry sector to be chosen for a special commendation by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents for its "outstanding performance".