A community newspaper in County Durham is going from strength to strength - with its editor just being put on the pay roll.

The Weardale Gazette was established in 1987 as a four-page community magazine and has gradually grown into a 12-page fortnightly newspaper which is regularly producing its own exclusives.

At the helm of the paper for the last four years has been Anita Atkinson, whose hard work has seen the paper's circulation gradually rise to almost 4,000 a month in an area with a population of just 7,000.

Under her editorship the paper has evolved from a magazine to a newspaper, carrying more news and fewer features.

When Blue Circle cement works closed down with the devastating loss of 300 jobs it made front-page news and the paper has since reported on where people have found work and pushed local businesses set up by some of the former workers.

It also champions the successes of local people, such as the 24-year-old who sold a piece of art to the Tate Modern and a woman born in the area who worked on the latest Bond film.

"Our success cannot only be measured by sales," said Anita, "but also by the fact that everyone wants to advertise with us."

"I write down what other people are thinking and I think that's why people buy it. I'm in tune with the readers and am not frightened to say what I think."

And Anita still has plans to improve the paper further, with the hope that it can be published weekly within a year or two, thus increasing its chances of 'scooping' other papers in the area.

Anita said: "It's frustrating when other papers get hold of a story that you've written but hasn't been published yet. But since we have gone fortnightly we have had several exclusives.

"One exclusive when we were published monthly later made national headlines, when the headteacher of the local primary school resigned to become a lorry driver.

"At the time I didn't realise what a good story it was and didn't even put it on the front page, but a week later it made the front page of another local paper and then went national."

Before getting involved with the paper, Anita, (46), had been raising a family and had written a book about the history of a local school, which is 400 years old.

The book was serialised in the paper and at around the same time an appeal was made for help with running the paper.

The previous editor left and an elderly director had taken charge. But when Anita volunteered to help, she was offered the editor's job.

With no previous journalism experience, the director said he would help Anita learn the ropes and she began writing and researching for the paper.

Now Anita produces the paper with the help of a secretary, part-time office manager and a team of voluntary contributors.