Three Times reporters were among those acclaimed as "the cream of local journalism" at Britsh Telecom's Press awards on Thursday.

Special guest Eve Pollard of TV and national newspaper fame told the presentation dinner guests that more entries than ever had been received in this, the fourth year of the competition open to local media in London and the northern home counties.

It was a high achievement to reach shortlist of three in the various categories.

The Times reporters were Sarah Cassidy of the Edgware Times; Caroline Cooley of the Harrow Times; and Bill Montgomery of the Hendon and Harrow Times Group.

Sarah was highly commended in the category Weekly News Reporter of the Year, and winner was Ruth Bloomfield of the Hampstead & Highgate Express.

Bill Montgomery was highly commended in the competition for Feature Writer of the Year, winner being Rebecca Holmes of the Eastern Daily Press.

A new category had been devised to encourage people fresh to journalism. Runner-up for the Newcomer of the Year award was the Harrow Times's Caroline Cooley, who judges said showed a talent for colour-writing, managed to avoid cliches, and had the ability to inject humour into her work. First place went to Christopher Branagan of the Reading Evening Post "after much deliberation".

Times Group editor Barry Brennan said: "We are delighted to have had such a strong representation at these industry awards. We competed head-on with daily and weekly paid-for papers, and it is good that a free newspaper's staff are recognised as being among the very best."

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