A local weekly paper managed to bag a top TV personality for its first community awards ceremony.

The Wirral Globe contacted celebrity chef and BBC’s Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood via Twitter just two days before the glitzy Wirral’s Golden Globe Awards, asking if he would like to pop along.

And editor Leigh Marles said they were stunned when he responded immediately, saying: “I’d love to.”

“The Great British Bake Off was the hit of the year and it’s notoriously difficult to get to speak to Paul, who was born just a couple of miles from the Globe’s offices,” Leigh said.

“We didn’t really expect him to reply but straight away he Tweeted back. It was something of a coup for a weekly like the Globe to get Paul, he’s in such demand from organisations far bigger than us.”

The Wallasey-born star even agreed to present an award and volunteered to make a short speech at the end.

He told the crowd: “In the Bake Off there are always losers whose efforts are flawed. But there were no losers tonight and this event has been flawless. It has been a delight to have been involved.”

Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood made a speech at the paper's first community awards event after being invited over Twitter