A CHAGFORD company has been judged one of the top companies in Devon for environmental practices.

Community business Proper Job was selected as a finalist for the annual Devon Environmental Business Initiative Ltd (DEBI) Green Award.

The winner, announced last week at the ceremony in County Hall, was the Recycled Bottle Glass Centre Ltd at Plymouth which received £1,000.

Proper Job together with other finalists Hanson Quarry Products at Hennock and Highfield Harvest Organic Farm at Topsham were awarded runners-up prizes of a year's free membership to DEBI, £150 and a bottle of organic champagne.

Each year the competition is held for businesses to show how they have adopted good environmental practice and to draw attention to the benefits achieved as an example to others.

Proper Job has developed its community composting project into a market garden which produces good organic food. This is then sold locally via its recently opened shop and cafe.

A key feature is Proper Job's training initiative which is aimed at helping people thus improving employment in local areas whilst helping reduce waste and conserve resources.

The award is sponsored by National Westminster Bank plc, South West Water, The National Lotteries Charities Board, the Government Office for the South West and Devon County Council.

Judges had a difficult time selecting the finalists as they said there were an 'exceptionally high standard of original entries.'

'The companies we visited covered a vast range of scale from a multi-million pound company to a small environmental company employing only a couple of people,' said DEBI board member Richard Bell.

Co-ordinator of Proper Job Jo Hodges said the company was started up four years ago and now employed 14 people.

'We had to learn an awful lot about the world of business so to go from nothing to be shortlisted as a business worthy of this award is very gratifying,' she said.

'It is very reassuring to get to this stage and have recognition for what we are achieving so far. It's like a pat on the back really.'