Protectors of privacy “shredded” the competition to snatch the Best Service Award for 2015 at the Caradoc Supplier of the Year Awards.

The Stratford branch of Shred-it, in Barbers Road, was recognised at the Shropshire ceremony for its work with UK healthcare providers to prevent breaches of data protection.

Dr Russell Muirhead, chairman of urgent medical services provider Shropdoc, presented Shred-it with the award.

And Shropdoc’s Peter Masters said Shred-it’s service to Caradoc Medical Service, a consortium that negotiates buying terms for medical groups, deserved praise.

“Shred-it provide an invaluable and reliable service for members all over the country,” he said. “Their efforts have been rewarded with this award.”

Robert Guice, Shred-it’s executive vice president of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said client care was at the centre of its success.

“Shred-it really cares about data security risks that other companies may overlook,” he said. “All business information has value and should not be misplaced or fall into the wrong hands.

“Shred-it provides a guiding hand towards businesses and leads them to a way of disposing of their data in a safe but eco-friendly manner.”

And he added it was important that companies looking to dispose of paper containing sensitive data should still consider the environment and recycle paper whenever it is possible.