The Express & Star in Wolverhampton is thanking its true evening newspaper status for enabling it to run a front page splash on the Benazir Bhutto assassination less than an hour after it happened.

Within minutes of the news breaking, the paper was carrying the story as its splash with pictures of Benazir taken earlier in the day – as well as a leader column condemning the killing.

Both its City Final and Sandwell editions led with the story, and a replated edition was added by 2.30pm, including eye witness accounts and fresh pictures of the aftermath.

Deputy editor Keith Harrison said: "We continue to benefit from being an authentic evening newspaper and we made the most of our afternoon deadlines.

"We have a large Pakistani community in the Black Country and it was important we gave all our readers the very latest information.

"Our print coverage was later backed up by text and video reports on our website carrying local reaction and it's clear from hard copy sales and hits on the web that readers have appreciated our efforts."