A weekly newspaper reporter in Bedfordshire chalked up a notable double last month with two consecutive splashes that ended up as page one leads in the nationals.

In last week’s Luton and Dunstable Express, reporter Lui Straccia revealed the amazing story of a woman pregnant with her 14th child, whose existing childen had all been taken into care.

The 36-year-old woman told the Express she would continue having children until the council let her keep one of them.

The story was splashed in the following day’s Sun with a double-page spread inside.

The previous week, Lui secured an exclusive on a group of Luton youngsters on a school trip who were bundled out of France because one of them had swine flu.

This story subsequently appeared on the front-page of the Daily Mail.

LSN Series editor Chris Gill said: “We have extremely talented people in our group, as Lui has shown. These are two cracking splashes for us and show that local newspapers can still set the agenda for nationals.

“While The Sun and Mail picked up both stories and will be remembered for carrying them, we are delighted and content in the knowledge we are providing top class stories first for our local readers.”

Comments

frank (04/08/2009 07:42:29)
But are you allowed to keep the money, Lui?? Or have they snaffled it for themselves while paying their ‘extremely talented people’ £16k a year?

Ruth (04/08/2009 09:01:50)
Well done Lui!!!

Hayley (04/08/2009 13:36:52)
Well done Lui!! xox