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The Blackpool Gazette has been chosen as this year's top daily newspaper at the annual BNFL-sponsored North West Newspaper Awards.

The Gazette fought off tough competition from last year's winner, the News & Star, Carlisle, and the Liverpool Echo, while in the weekly newspaper category the Chester Chronicle won through for the second year running, beating the Southport Visiter and the Cumberland News.

The winners of the prestigious competition, which saw a record number of entries this year, were announced at the JJB Sports Stadium in Wigan and awards were presented by Richard Catlow, chairman of the North West region of the Society of Editors.

The Liverpool Echo also had a successful day, with two of its reporters scooping awards. Mark Thomas was named News Reporter of the Year and his colleague Paul Kennedy was named Young Journalist of the Year.

There were also prizes for Sarah Hughes of the Manchester Evening News who won the feature writing category, the Blackpool Gazette's Bill Johnson who was named Photographer of the Year, and David Mullahey from the Liverpool Daily Post, who was crowned Sports Reporter of the Year.

The winners of the daily and weekly newspaper categories were presented with a BNFL trophy, whilst winners of the individual categories each received £700. All winners and runners up received framed certificates.

The awards, which are now in their 11th year, are organised by the North-West Society of Editors, and supported by BNFL, to recognise the achievements of journalists and newspapers throughout Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cumbria.

This year's judges were Doug Malloy, editor of the Rotherham Advertiser and Alan Powell, editor of the Sheffield Telegraph.

For a full list of winners and runners up,
click here.