Matlock Mercury editor Don Hale was due to find out tonight if he has picked up a prestigious What the Papers Say Award.

He has been nominated for his work on the Stephen Downing case, which could see prisoner Downing freed after 27 years locked up for a murder he claims he did not commit.

The editor has been campaigning for a review into Downing’s case for many years, and after six years of hitting the local headlines the national press picked up the story when it became clear he could be released.

The awards ceremony is at the Savoy Hotel in London and will be televised on BBC2 tomorrow.

Check back to HoldTheFrontPage for details of winners from the regional press.

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