BROADWATER Farm, the Tottenham estate notorious for the 1985 riots, has been praised by the government for being a highly successful model for regeneration.

A report from the department for the environment, transport and regions said the management of the estate had been a real success.

The report, entitled Policy Action Team on Neighbourhood Management, follows a document on neighbourhood renewal by the council's social exclusion unit in 1998.

This SEU report, named Bringing Britain Together, set out details for neighbourhood management and the improvement of the estate.

It gave staff a set of guidelines to deal with basic housing, maintenance and environmental services; it gave residents a voice in decision-making; encouraged closer working with police, health, education and social services; and a high level of work with younger people.

Since the riots 15 years ago, Broadwater Farm residents have fought hard to try to make it a safe place to live.

And this model has proved so successful that housing officers have visited from around the world, including the US, Russia and Europe.

Paul Dennehy, the neighbourhood officer who has worked hard to make the model work, said: 'We are obviously very pleased with the government's comments. This plan has been in development for a number of years, when the estate was very much different from the way it is now.

'Residents have worked very hard at making it a success and they are very proud of what they have achieved.

'The model involves a lot of close work with various services, including the police, council and health officers.

'We feel this is the right way to bring about improvements in an area and this goes to show that.'