The Liverpool Echo’s live blog from the Rhys Jones court case attracted 100,000 page impressions throughout the murder trial.

Reporters used the CoverIt Live technology – now a regular feature for big news stories on the Trinity Mirror title’s website – to blog events ‘live’ from Liverpool Crown Court.

Pictures and video shown to the court throughout the trial were also displayed on the blog which was carried on liverpooldailypost.co.uk.

Liverpool Echo editor Alastair Machray said: “The fact so many people have logged on and followed proceedings on our website shows that putting the resource into the live blog was the right thing to do.

“The court case has been followed closely not just in Liverpool, but right across the country.

“No other media organisation has been able to provide the level of detailed coverage we have.

“Once the jury had been sent out, the team filed directly to the blog, and this enabled us to be first with the result of the trial.”

Earlier this week HoldtheFrontPage reported how the Echo’s editorial team had been on tenterhooks waiting for the sentencing prior to the print deadline.

When it eventually came, the Echo ran off 4,500 copies of a special edition which included the family’s reaction and went to the city centre and Croxteth, where the 11-year-old was shot last August.

Alastair added: “Unusually for our live blogs, we have not allowed user interaction, but that has not stopped people submitting comments thanking us for the blog.

“Other than actually sitting in court, this was the only way people could continually monitor what was happening.

“The success of the live blog has confirmed to me that live news must be delivered on demand and that the deadline is now.”