The paper also picked up four highly commended awards in a ceremony at the Customs House, South Shields, which celebrated the hard work of reporters, photographers and sub-editors in NEP.

Our campaign Knives Ruin Lives, pulled together by crime reporter Lisa Nightingale, picked up best initiative for successfully getting knives off the streets of South Tyneside.

Lisa said: "It's great that a campaign which had such an impact on the community has won an award.

"Knives Ruin Lives was aimed at highlighting to young people the dangers of carrying knives following the tragic deaths of Glen Corner and Lee Phipps, who were both stabbed to death. We were potentially saving lives."

Sports reporter Miles Starforth also won an award for his coverage of Newcastle United.

Judges said Miles's work was written with 'authority and grace' and added: "His team has had a difficult season, but his work has been far more consistent than the team he writes about."

Gazette editor John Szymanski said: "I was thrilled our community initiative Knives Ruin Lives was rewarded for the impact it has had and the awareness it has raised in the local community and nationally.

"Well done and congratulations to Miles for winning the best sports reporter award for his always-informative and well-written coverage of Newcastle United."

David MacLean was highly commended in the Daily Trainee of the Year section for work including Tony Blair's first interview since stepping down as Prime Minister, and delving into the past of well-known South Shields character Tommy Urwin.

Judges said his portfolio 'demonstrated variety and real talent'.

Chief reporter Angela Reed was highly commended in both the Best Story and Best Reporter's Portfolio.

Her 'excellent' work included coverage of cancer sufferer Jimmy Jenkyns's fight for potentially life-saving drugs and the Glen Corner murder.

Chief photographer Tim Richardson was highly commended in what judges called a 'tough category' for Best Picture after capturing Anita Spence in a moment of despair outside her burnt-out home, where her daughters Demi Jade and Tatum Leah died in a fire.

Customs House operations director Peter Darrant hosted the evening, which was sponsored by EDF Energy. More than 70 journalists working on NEP titles entered the awards.

The Sunderland Echo and Hartlepool Mail both won six awards, while weekly papers the Northumberland Gazette and News Post Leader won two each, and the Morpeth Herald one.