Brighton and Hove City Council communicators won five prizes at the Institute of Public Relations' annual Cream awards.

The council won three gongs for its reality TV-style internet campaign ninelives, aimed at encouraging sustainable living. It won best integrated public relations (PR) campaign, best community PR campaign and best non-profit campaign.

The council also won Team of the Year and the institute's Grand Prix.

Communications director Tony Miller said: "We feel really proud a public sector in-house team can do well at these awards in competition with some big names in the industry.

"We work hard at trying to bring council information to life and finding new and interesting ways of communicating with people."

The ninelives campaign followed nine residents who were being taught to lead more eco-friendly lifestyles.

They included a woman who wanted to declutter her house and a man who wanted to buy fewer boxed TV dinners and learn to cook.

Participants recorded video diaries. which were posted on a specially-designed web site.

The awards are the latest in a string of accolades for ninelives over the last year.