Watford's mayor has been shortlisted for the 2020 Councillor Awards.

Liberal Democrat Peter Taylor, who was elected as the town's mayor in 2018, has been shortlisted in the innovation and service transformation category, alongside four other politicians.

This award celebrate councillors who have pioneered new ways of delivering high-quality council services in order to support their residents.

More than 200 nominations were received across nine categories - Mr Taylor is one of two to be shortlisted from Hertfordshire; the other being Councillor Jeanette Thomas from Stevenage Borough Council.

On learning of his nomination, Mr Taylor tweeted: "Thank you for the nomination. I know that everyone at @WatfordCouncil has been working hard and adapting to help our town respond to this pandemic."

The Cllr Awards are the only national ceremony to celebrate the contributions of England's councillors - now in the 11th year.

This year’s ceremony will take place virtually on November 26 with special speakers and guests.

The winners will be decided by a panel of judges composed of senior councillors and officers as well as leading stakeholders from across the sector.

Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of the Local Government Information Unit, said: "The Covid-19 pandemic has presented this country with a set of challenges that few could have predicted.

"However, councillors up and down the country have risen to these challenges and stepped up to plate for their communities.

"It is for this reason that we are particularly proud to unveil the shortlist for this year’s Cllr Awards. Their achievements showcase the best of local government at a time when the country faces one of the greatest hardships of our lifetime.

"We would like to congratulate all of those councillors shortlisted and look forward to revealing the winners on November 26."