BURY Council has been named one of Britain’s top ‘equal’ employers.

The council is listed at number 51 in professional lobbying group Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers list, which showcases the best employers for lesbian, gay, bi and trans staff.

The list is compiled from submissions to the Workplace Equality Index, a tool used by employers to create inclusive workplaces.

The annual audit, now in its 13th year, is free to any employer to enter and this year 439 employers took part.

To supplement evidence submitted by employers, Stonewall also sought feedback directly from staff, and received more than 90,000 responses.

Cllr Jane Lewis, Bury’s cabinet member for finance and human resources, said she was delighted the council had come in Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers list.

Cllr Lewis said: “We’ve been in Stonewall’s list since 2009 and are delighted to be included once more, with our placing going up from 60 last year to 51 this year and being the fourth best council in the country.

“We are committed to eradicating discrimination in all areas, and we are glad to see that our efforts are being recognised nationally.”

Duncan Bradshaw, director of membership programmes at Stonewall, paid tribute to the work being done by Bury Council.

Mr Bradshaw said: “Bury Council and all those who have made this year’s Top 100 Employers list have done a fantastic job, and really do put equality and inclusion at the forefront of their work.

“We will continue to work toward a world where all lesbian, gay, bi and trans staff are welcomed and accepted in their workplaces.”

Stonewall was founded in 1989, and since then has been at the forefront of social and legal advancement for LGB people living in Britain. In 2015, the group extended its remit to campaign for trans equality.

The group has worked alongside other LGBT groups and individuals for changes in law. They include equal age of consent, protection from discrimination at work, the repeal the offensive and pernicious Section 28 and, in 2013, securing the right for same-sex couples to marry.