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News in brief

The Echo, in south Essex, as been sent more than 350 website tributes to a teenager who died in a tragic road accident, with most of the messages posted on echo-news.co.uk being from friends of the 15-year-old girl.
Editor Martin McNeill said: “Tributes started to come in within minutes of the news story being posted on the website, a day before it was printed in the paper.
“This shows how newspaper websites are helping us widen our reach into the community. I doubt if many of these youngsters would think about writing letters or even e-mailing the newspaper itself, but they left their messages on the website because the link on the end of the story made it easy and immediate.”


The Eastern Daily Press has given away £5,000 to local charities with the help of votes from readers.
The Archant Norfolk title teamed up with the Charities Aid Foundation to mark National Giving Week by awarding five local causes £1,000 each. Readers were asked to nominate their favourite charities and votes were cast in their hundreds.


A new motoring website that will enable thousands of consumers to source a car in Scotland at the click of a mouse launched this week.
The website, www.scotwheels.co.uk, is a joint venture spearheaded by Trinity Mirror’s Scottish Daily Record & Sunday Mail Ltd and Scottish and Universal Newspapers with backing from the Hamilton Advertiser, Ayrshire Post, Perthshire Advertiser, Stirling Observer, Dumfries and Galloway Standard, Paisley Daily Express as well as titles in Dunbartonshire and West Lothian.
They say Scotwheels will simplify the car buying process, it will also feature motoring news, car reviews, road tests and buying advice as well as handy tips including where to get the best deals for car insurance and finance.


A silent auction of beauty products has raised more than £300 for Norwich’s SOS Bus charity.
Archant Norfolk staff were invited to place bids via e-mail in a silent auction Backed by Archant Norfolk’s Evening News for top brands including Chanel, Lancôme, Estée Lauder and Clinique. The products had all been sent to the Evening News’ fashion guru Nancy Martin for her Life Matters pages.


A photographer from Archant Norfolk found himself on the wrong side of the lens in a huge cat costume, in aid of a local children’s charity.
Picture desk assistant Kristian Low donned a furry hat and tail during a photo-shoot for children’s bereavement charity Nelson’s Journey after hearing that comedy Evening News columnist Karl Minns, who is a patron of the charity, was short of someone to pose in the suit.