Two Romford Recorder staff have been rewarded for their loyalty and long service after each clocking up 25 years' service with parent-company Archant.

Editor Mark Sweetingham and assistant editor Kevin English were each presented with a cheque for £500 in a ceremony at the Recorder's High Street offices to mark the double milestone.

Mark joined the company as a sub-editor and held various editorial and management jobs at the company before becoming editor of the Recorder seven years ago.

He said: "I started as a sub-editor based in our old hot metal production centre. This old technology meant I had to learn to read upside down and back to front because of the way the type was prepared.

"It took me about a year to master that and then they replaced everything with computers which meant that skill became redundant!

"Seriously though, it's a wonderful job and I wouldn't do anything else."

Kevin has spent his quarter of a century at the Recorder, starting out as a reporter in January 1979.

As part of his job he edits an 'on this day column' looking back at what stories hit the headlines in previous years.

He said: "When I edit the History Highlights of 20 years ago and realise I wrote the original story, it makes me realise I've been here quite a while."

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