Basildon Evening Echo crime reporter Carl Eve was named the 2003 Shepherd Neame Essex Journalist of the Year.

The awards judges praised his “brilliant” coverage of the Danielle Jones murder trial, heralded as “a classic example of thorough digging and court reporting with style”.

Eve’s colleague on the Evening Echo, Gary Pearson, won the Essex Campaign of the Year title for his Fair Deal for Our Sick Children crusade, which demanded more cash for a local children’s hospice.

Other major winners in the Shepherd Neame awards were Ilford Recorder reporter Grant Sherlock, who is now the 2003 Essex Young Journalist of the Year and Glenn Speller, sports broadcaster with BBC Essex, who won the Spitfire Sports Journalist of the Year accolade.

Ian Lynch from the Romford Recorder was runner-up in both the Campaign of the Year and Journalist of the Year categories.

The judges were Richard Kay, royal correspondent on the Daily Mail; Anthony Clavane, chief sports writer on the Sunday Mirror and Bill Rogers, managing editor BBC Radio News.

Shepherd Neame vice-chairman Stuart Neame chaired the judging panel.

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