East Bilney Coachworks Paint and Body Centres are delighted to be celebrating their latest success – winning the Direct Line Group's innovator of the year award at the British Bodyshop Awards at the Battersea Evolution, London.

This continues a year of excellent achievements for East Bilney which also saw two of the group's sites – East Bilney, between Dereham and Fakenham and Whiting Road in Norwich – celebrate being named as two of the finalists in the Peugeot and Citroen independent bodyshop of the year awards, for its continually high levels of service and customer care.

Added to this, Robert Edwards, a senior mechanical, electrical and trim (MET) technician at the Norwich North branch in Hurricane Way on the Airport Industrial Estate, was the first in the country to obtain reaccredition automotive technician accreditation ATA using the assessed outcome module option, which was achieved with the help of Cardiff and Vale College and Norwich City College.

Mark Baldwin, director of East Bilney Coachworks, said: 'The British Bodyshop Awards was a truly amazing night. The venue was superb and the food was delicious and, dare I say it, ABP [Auto Body Professionals Club] has once again raised the bar.

'To win the innovator of the year award demonstrates that our team at East Bilney is keen to explore new ways of approaching repairs and developing our business.

'To win the award was the icing on the cake on what was already a great evening for our industry.'