A weekly newspaper has been honoured for its commitment to the region it serves by the newsagents’ trade body.

The National Federation of Retail Newsagents has awarded the Hampshire Chronicle Local Publisher of the Year at its Southern Region Awards.

Other finalists in the category with the Winchester-based Chronicle were the Western Daily Press and the Surrey Mirror.

The awards were held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in Reading, this month.

Chronicle editor Ian Murray said: “We all know that we have the community at the centre of everything that we do, but it is heartening to have this fact recognised by others.

“We also know that no one works harder to support the local print media than the NFRN, we have been making a strong team together for generations and that isn’t going to change any time soon.”

The NFRN represents more than 16,000 news and convenience retailers across the UK and Ireland.

The annual awards recognise a wide range of excellence in retailers and those who support them, including local media.