South Yorkshire Times reporter Kevin Rogers has received a national award for his series of interviews with war veterans earlier this year.

The Times has been judged as the winning newspaper of the Ministry of Defence’s Veterans Day Regional Newspaper Press Awards competition.

Kevin was invited to The Ministry of Defence in London and was presented with a certificate by Veterans Minister Derek Twigg before interviewing the minister for the paper.

In a letter of commendation, the judges said: “We considered that your entry encapsulated the whole Veterans Day ethos to its fullest effect.

“Your articles were prominently positioned, with large bold headlines that displayed the Veterans Day logo and most importantly the articles contained all of the Veterans Day key messages.”

Kevin said: “It is an honour to receive this award. I was grateful to be able to have the opportunity to record the moving and often harrowing wartime experiences of veterans, some of whom are now well into their 90s.

“We all owe a debt of honour to the men and women who have risked their lives in the armed forces and still do on a daily basis in conflicts around the world – whatever our own opinions are on the rights and wrongs of a particular war.”

As well as reporting on Veterans Day itself, the Times ran a series of features in the weeks leading up to the event, working with local historian Bernard Pearson to find local veterans who would candidly share their experiences in the Armed Forces.

South Yorkshire Times deputy editor David Jones said: “Veterans’ issues are of continuing relevance to our readers, especially with young men and women from our local communities currently serving in Afghanistan and Iraq – the veterans of tomorrow.

“I’m delighted that the Times has received this recognition for Kevin’s insightful and popular series of features.”