South Wales Echo reporter Wayne Nowaczyk is celebrating 25 years at the paper - but says the quarter-century stint has failed to diminish his determination at getting his teeth into officialdom.

Wayne, now chief reporter for the Valleys, started out at the Echo in September 1978.

He said: "What drives me is an interest in people, a hatred of bullies, a distrust of authorities and a determination to give the little man in the street a louder voice in matters relating to the powers that be.

"For example, the then National Coal Board declined responsibility for a landslip - the Moving Mountain of Blaenau - which threatened more than a 100 homes.

"I talked to ex-miners who confirmed that the board's predecessors had improperly sealed some old mines, causing a difference to the water table."

Wayne thrives on bringing hard news to the public, even though he concedes the agenda has altered over the years.

He said: "I think that society in general would probably prefer to talk about David Beckham rather than the validity of Tony Blair's invasion of Iraq. I think that's sad, but we are more entertainment-oriented nowadays."

"But," he added, "Some of the fastest growing papers in the UK have shown that the public wants news - it's about getting the mix right."

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