The government has lifted the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Improvement Notice issued to Hertfordshire County Council, with the county's Liberal Democrat administration welcoming the decision as a sign of progress in local services.

The announcement comes less than a year after the Liberal Democrats took control of the council, with improving SEND provision described by the administration as one of its key priorities.

The Improvement Notice had previously been issued following concerns around the delivery of services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities across Hertfordshire.

In a statement, the Liberal Democrats said the decision to lift the notice was "welcome recognition" from the government that significant progress had been made.

The party added that it would continue lobbying ministers to reform the national SEND funding system, arguing that Hertfordshire is disadvantaged by the current formula.

A spokesperson said the Liberal Democrats would continue campaigning for "the government to fix the broken funding formula which penalises Hertfordshire and to fix the SEND system for the long term".

SEND services support children and young people with additional educational needs, including access to specialist support, education plans and tailored provision in schools and other settings across the county.