Lambeth is the most improved London council and one of only two councils nationally to have jumped from a one star to three star 'good' rating in just one year, according to an announcement from the Audit Commission today.

Inspectors found the council had 'improved strongly', following their annual Comprehensive Performance Assessment, which rates councils across England on a scale from one to four stars.

The three star scorecard - which is a first for Lambeth - shows the council has significantly improved in a number of areas, exceeding targets to cut crime, increasing visitor numbers to libraries by seven percent and creating one of the highest performing housing benefits team in the country.

The council's award winning X-it programme received a mention for its work to keep young people away from violent crime, and inspectors noted that value for money was 'good' and that children's services had particularly improved.

Last year Town Hall bosses were disappointed when Lambeth was rated as the only one star authority in London, despite improvements in over 75 percent of services. The result was attributed to a low rating for the borough's cultural services which decreased the overall score, although this area has since shown significant improvement.