A HALTON landlord has been named the north west’s most gay-friendly housing provider.

Riverside is one of Stonewall’s 100 best employers, placed at 61 in the league table compiled by the gay rights campaigning organisation.

The 50,000-home landlord, with properties in Halton, joins nine other housing providers nationwide in the top 100 and the best in the North West. gaining 77 places from its 138th position last year.

Neil Townsend, Riverside’s divisional director and chairman of its lesbian gay bisexual and transgender staff group, is delighted with the recognition.

He said: “We’ve made lots of progress over recent years to ensure that we are a truly inclusive place to work.

“I’m very proud to work alongside people who are comfortable being themselves in the workplace. Our commitment to inclusivity means that we can all get on with the job of transforming lives and revitalising neighbourhoods, regardless of sexual orientation.

“It’s great to see so many housing associations in Stonewall’s top employers list. It’s a fantastic sector in which to work.

“Not only are we combatting discrimination in the workplace, but here at Riverside we are making sure that our LGBT tenants feel comfortable in their neighbourhoods by raising awareness of and tackling hate crime in our communities.”