A RADIO station has been hearing the sweet sound of success after clinching a prestigious award.

East Coast FM was presented with one of The Princess Royal Training Awards at a ceremony in London last Thursday.

Ian Robertson, manager of the Haddington-based station, was delighted with the award, which recognises learning and development which leads to success.

Mr Robertson attended a ceremony at St James’s Palace to mark the momentous occasion, where the station was also awarded a Major Commendation.

Mr Robertson, who was presented with the award by HRH The Princess Royal, said: “We are completely blown away by this award, it means so much to us to be recognised for the fantastic work and effort put in by our volunteers.

“I want to say thank you to her Royal Highness and the City and Guilds for this recognition.

“We promise to continue to make an impact on the lives of our community and beyond.”

East Coast FM was one of 40 businesses chosen for “creating lasting impact by successfully linking their skills development needs to business performance”.

Among the shows broadcast by the Hospital Road-based station is The School Bell.

The show is created by local schoolchildren and gives them the opportunity to learn about communication, broadcasting and being on air.

Many who have spent time on the programme have gone on to present their own programmes and train younger people themselves.

Other businesses to achieve this status in 2017 include RBS, Mercedes Benz, Waitrose and Barclays.

Chris Jones, chief executive of the City and Guilds Group, said: “From household brands to leading charities, employers of all sizes across the UK are seeing real and tangible benefits of training and developing their people.

“The Princess Royal Training Awards provide both recognition and the opportunity to share best practice and its impact.

“I congratulate the 40 successful organisations who presented their evidence and achieved the standard required by the Award in 2017."