The Highbury and Islington Express and the Wembley Observer have been honoured at the Mayor of London’s first ever local press awards.

The regional newspapers were among the winners at the event held to recognise balanced and accurate coverage of refugee and asylum issues.

The High & I won the news reports category and the Observer picked up the prize for background and comment material.

The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, said: “I am pleased to see that London’s local press is demonstrating the media’s responsibility to present a fair and accurate picture of London and its communities.

“Immigration and diversity is one of the city’s great strengths and each new wave has enhanced London as a global city.

“I hope that these papers inspire others to act in a more responsible way, so as not to contribute to making London’s refugees and asylum seekers more vulnerable, insecure and victims of hostility.”

Council newspaper East End Life won the use of visual material category and Al-Muntada, an Iraqi community paper, won the category for news, comment or visual coverage in a faith or black, Asian and minority ethnic newspaper.

The Camden New Journal and Ilford Recorder received commendations.

The awards scheme follows independent research commissioned by the Mayor into media coverage of refugee and asylum issues. The ‘Media Image, Community Impact’ report published last year, found evidence among the national press of unbalanced and inaccurate coverage, which was likely to cause fear and tension within communities across London.

The research also found that the local press is more likely than national press to provide a balanced picture on the issues that affect local people.