A junior reporter at the Norwich Evening News brought an exclusive interview with a backpacker stranded in Australia into his office - thanks to his local contacts.

James Bigg woke yesterday to hear on the radio about the backpacker from Norfolk who had to be rescued from the mountains after the fog descended.

He managed to beat the nationals and local rivals to get an exclusive interview with the backpacker and his father - because he knew them both.

His friend was stranded in a freezing cold, desolate mountain range for almost six hours while trekking across Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Range National Park, in Western Australia.

James said: "I realised that a hot national story was there for the taking just two minutes away from where I live.

"I was at his house by 7.45am where I found his dad. He told me he was fed up with the media, but because I was a family friend he would let me have the lot for free.

"Darren (the backpacker) then called up 20 minutes later and I got the full tale direct from Australia.

"I phoned it through to my newsdesk, complete with a photograph and made the deadline with a few minutes to spare.

"As far as I'm aware, we are the only UK paper to get an interview - talk about local knowledge!"

The interview revealed how the mist descended so quickly that the backpacker got lost. He was drenched to the skin and freezing cold.

It was pitch black and he could not see 10 metres in front of himself, and was shouting so loud for help that his voice was hoarse.

He used what little mobile phone battery he had left to call his father, who alerted the emergency services from the UK.

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