A BURY organic skincare products firm has cleaned' up in a new awards scheme.

Faith in Nature, of East Street, has won the best cruelty-free soap title in the first annual Golden Bunny awards, named after an animal commonly used for testing.

The competition was launched by the BUAV (the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection), and the winners were decided by a poll of more than 1,500 consumers.

Faith in Nature, which was launched by Rona Rose from the kitchen of her house, shuns all animal testing on its range of 50 plus body care products. Because of this policy the company, which employs more than 17 staff, belongs to the Humane Cosmetics Standard.

Rona Rose said: "Faith in Nature was one of the early pioneers of using non-animal tested ingredients. For more than 30 years our commitment has been 100 per cent to avoid the use of any ingredient that is animal tested.

"We feel that this ethical stance has helped to establish Faith in Nature as the leading brand it is today.

"We fully support alternative methods of testing, to ensure that newer ingredients are safe and kind, not only to humans, but to animals too."

Earlier this year, the company achieved the coveted Investor in People status.