A TOP finance director at the council has been crowned as the best in the business.

Finance directors from the Liverpool City region, Cheshire and north Wales were honoured at the Finance Director (FD) of the Year awards in Liverpool on Wednesday.

And it was joy for Lynton Green, the council's director of finance and information services, who fended off stiff competition to come out on top in the non-profit organisation category.

It is a challenging time for the council amid the difficult budget cuts.

But Mr Green was recognised for the work he is doing with leading members to ensure the authority continues to deliver.

Following the award he tweeted: "So proud to have won the not-for profit #FDAwards2015 - such a humbling experience when you just do a job you enjoy so much #warrington."

In other categories Andrew Bickerton, from Dee Valley Group, was named FD of the Year for north Wales.

Tony Wade, from the Liverpool City region Local Enterprise Partnership, was named FD of the year for the area.

In Cheshire, John Beech, from Fayrefield Foods, was given the same accolade, while Malcolm Jackson, from Langtree Property Partners, took home the special recognition award.

The awards, supported by Accountable Recruitment, Grant Thornton, Hill Dickinson and HSBC, showcase leading financial directors and chief financial officers in businesses and public sector organisations.

Carl Williams, north west managing partner at business advisors Grant Thornton LLP, said: "The number and quality of nominations this year was truly impressive, resulting in a very hard selection process.

"The winners are a group of outstanding finance professionals, who all demonstrate excellent technical ability.

"This is complemented by their resilience, integrity and leadership skills – attributes that make them all exceptional FDs.

"These awards highlight the sheer calibre of FDs we have within the north west."