A campaign which seeks to encourage correct grammar and concise writing has named the Worcester News as the country’s top regional daily.

The News overcame opposition from 20 other regional dailies to win the prize awarded by the Plain English Campaign.

The campaign, set up in 1979, aims to highlight the importance of presenting information in a clear and concise way using the correct grammar.

Judges praised the Newsquest owned title for its “uncluttered” style and well-written, attractive news stories.

Peter Griffiths, the company secretary for the campaign, first read the paper after it was sent to the offices by a member of the public.

He said: “I was so impressed by it. The paper was not like a normal regional, it felt like I was reading the Guardian or the Times, something of that calibre.  I couldn’t put it down. It left a deep impression on me.”

Worcester News editor Peter John said: “Plainly, we are delighted! It’s a fundamental principle of good journalism that you not only report the news, but you do so in an easy-to-understand way.

“It’s nice that the judges have recognised the clear lay out of the paper as well as the fantastic work our reporters and sub editors do every day turning complicated and complex documents into jargon-free stories that don’t baffle the readers.”

The News was selected as the winner of the campaign’s regional newspaper of the year prize by a panel of five judges.

The judges said: “With a great layout, good writing style and an overall standard of clear, attractive news stories, the Worcester News is a great little paper and is invaluable to a lot of people in the local community.

“The paper is uncluttered and easy to read, with well-researched, interesting stories, and is just what we’re looking for in a local newspaper.”

The News is in good company with the Guardian being named the best national newspaper and the New York Times taking the top spot for the international media award.