The Stockport Express is among a series of titles affected by the job cuts across MEN Media's Greater Manchester weeklies.

Express editor Mandy Leigh decided to take redundancy as a result of MEN Media's decision to centralise all its local papers' offices in Manchester.

Last night, she accepted the newspaper award on behalf of her paper at the How-Do awards which celebrate marketing, PR and journalism success in the North-West region.

Mandy began her career at the Jewish Telegraph and has worked for the Manchester Evening News, Manchester Metro News and a variety of North West business publications.

She was appointed editor of the Salford City Reporter & Advertiser in 1997 before taking on the Express editorship in 2002.

In their citation for last night's awards, the How-Do judges highlighted the Express's achievement in being the only paid-for weekly in the region to increase its circulation last year.

"The paper's commitment to a think local, be local philosophy appears to be still paying dividends," they said.

Other editorial winners last night included CN Group-owned Cumbria Life in the magazine of the year category, edging out Archant-owned rival Lancashire Life.

It was BBC Liverpool’s night in the media website category, defeating a line-up of eight other sites, although lancashiretelegraph.co.uk was commended for its breaking of news and engagement with readers.

Full results in the editorial categories were as follows:

Newspaper

Winner: Stockport Express
Shortlisted: Asian Lite, Crain's Manchester Business, Lancashire Evening Post, Manchester Evening News.

Magazine

Winner: Cumbria Life
Shortlisted: All Together Now!, Lancashire Life, Landlord & Buy-to-Let Magazine

Media Website

Winner: BBC Liverpool
Shortlisted: City Talk 105.9, Lancashire Evening Post, lancashiretelegraph.co.uk, manchestereveningnews.co.uk, Planet Confidential, Salfordonline, TheBusinessDesk.com, The Westmorland Gazette.