South Wales Argus reporter Mark Choueke is the latest recipient of the annual Nick Lewis Memorial Travel Bursary.

Mark is the third South Wales Argus trainee to receive the £1,000 award to travel overseas and research a story linked with the Gwent area.

The bursary is named in memory of former Argus journalist Nick Lewis, who died of cancer in 1999 while chief sub-editor at Wales on Sunday.

In 2001, the first recipient, reporter Gemma Collins, travelled to America to look at the after-effects of steel plant closures in the Mid-West, an issue close to the hearts of the 2,150 people who lost their jobs when Corus closed its Ebbw Vale tin plate works and ended steelmaking at Llanwern, Newport.

Last year, Edward Davie went to Jamaica to research the Yardie drug gangs who have infiltrated Gwent and sparked police to launch a major operation against them.

Mark receiving his bursary from trustee Nigel Gabriel and Nick Lewis’ mother Peggy (above).

He will be travel to Portugal to investigate the origins of the medieval ship found in Newport. The discovery caught the imagination of the public in Gwent and of enthusiasts worldwide.

Mark joined the South Wales Argus in November 2002 and researched a number of exclusive stories about the ship.

He is currently based in the Chepstow office.

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