THE Chairman of Cambridgeshire County Council, Councillor Linda Oliver, has praised staff encouraged residents to have a green Christmas in her annual festive message, which takes the form of a vodcast for the second year running.

THE Chairman of Cambridgeshire County Council has encouraged residents to have a green Christmas in her annual Christmas message.

Councillor Linda Oliver also praised staff and emergency services who are on-call or working over the festive period.

Her message took the form of a vodcast for the second year running.

Cllr Oliver said: "It is very important to recognise the marvellous work done by so many people over the Christmas and New Year period.

"We recorded a vodcast last year, which was so successful we decided to do the same again in an attempt to reach as many residents as possible."

Cllr Oliver praised county council employees who look after the elderly and the young in residential homes.

She also highlighted the work of the social care Emergency Duty Team and the Council's Emergency Management Team who will be on call to respond to a major emergency.

She also singled out the work of gritters who are working round the clock over Christmas and New Year to grit the roads if temperatures remain below zero or if snow falls.

The Chairman also reaffirmed the county council's commitment to the environment and reducing the effects of climate change. She encouraged residents to think about how they get to the shops, how they travel to see friends and family, the presents they buy and how they dispose of their festive rubbish.

Cllr Oliver urged people to recycle their wrapping paper and compost their Christmas trees.

The vodcast ends with children from Steeple Morden Primary School singing Christmas carols.