A CITY council employee has scooped a top prize after been crowned the winner of a national contest.

Sustainability city team manager Mairi Brookes, who has been at Oxford City Council for three years, won the Guardian's Professional Networks competition.

She was prized with a scholarship, worth up to £17,900, to study on a masters leadership course at Henley Business School.

T came after she wrote a winning essay on the challenges for sustainability in local government.

She said: "I’m thrilled to have this opportunity and I hope that my learning and practice will benefit my team, the council and our partners around the city and county.

"I really never thought I would win this competition, so it just shows that it’s worth putting yourself out there and seeing what happens."