A South West daily has won a worldwide newspaper award for the second year running.

Exeter-based Express and Echo picked up the World Young Reader Newspaper of the Year in an annual awards scheme run by the World Association of Newspapers.

It follows the Northcliffe title’s young reader prize last year for its Green Shoppers campaign which strove to cut the number of plastic bags being used in the city.

This year the Echo also received a special judges’ commendation and won the public service category award.

The prize is handed out to papers which have created ways to actively engage with young readers.

The paper has just finished passed the first anniversary of its Green Team initiative which has seen 13 local schools complete environmental tasks in exchange for financial backing of projects.

Echo editor Marc Astley said: “This is an outstanding achievement by any newspaper’s standards.

“To receive an accolade of this magnitude from such a high-profile industry organisation places us among the crème de la crème.

“I would like to pay tribute to reporter Anne Byrne who has co-ordinated the campaign so brilliantly and also thank our partners Exeter City Council and Gregory Distribution for their amazing support.”

Earlier this year the Express and Echo swept the board at the EDF Energy South West Media Awards where it won six awards including newspaper and campaign of the year while Anne Byrne was crowned environmental reporter of the year.