Five leisure centres in Waltham Forest - operated by Greenwich Leisure (GLL) -have achieved the Customer Service Excellence award, the new Cabinet Office quality mark.

As well as scoring top marks for all five, key criteria, the Customer Service Excellence (CSE) report highlighted one 'compliance plus' area - GLL's appointment of a Community Development Officer (CDO) to target the disadvantaged in the community.

Compliance Plus status means the Waltham Forest centres exceed the requirements of the CSE standard and are examples of national best practice.

GLL's CSE assessment covered all six borough centres - Cathall, Kelmscott and Larkswood Leisure Centres, Leyton Leisure Lagoon and Waltham Forest Pool and Track - all run by GLL in partnership with the London Borough of Waltham Forest.

Assessors also visited the Peter May Centre which GLL manage on behalf of the London Playing Fields Association.

Councillor Geraldine Reardon said: "This award recognises the work of the GLL partnership with Waltham Forest and the impact that this relationship can have on customers. We want people of all ages in Waltham Forest to feel that our leisure centres meet their needs, whatever their lifestyle or their physical condition. No one should feel they are not fit enough to pay us a visit."

GLL was assessed against the five key criteria of the Customer Service Excellence standard: customer insight, the culture of the organisation, information and access, delivery, and timeliness and quality of service.