Jailing of hoaxer marks the end of a long investigation by Echo
Rob Lawson
What we have written about Rob Lawson
Editors survive holiday hurricane horror
Two regional newspaper editors have told how their holidays to Florida became dominated by the worst hurricane to hit the area in more than ten years. Rob Lawson, editor of the Sunderland Echo, and Andrew Smith, a former Echo editor
Echo offers reward to catch a killer
The Sunderland Echo is offering a £1,500 reward in a bid to find out who killed a city teenager. Scott Pritchard, (19), was beaten to death outside his home four weeks ago in a seemingly motiveless attack that has stunned
Paper's £500 reward to catch sex attacker
The Sunderland Echo has offered a £500 reward in a bid to catch a “depraved” sex attacker who may have struck twice on a local estate. An indecent assault on an 87-year-old widow on August 6 has been linked to
Explosive story runs for a week
A wartime drama left 2,000 people evacuated from their homes and brought a wealth of copy for the Sunderland Echo. The paper enjoyed a running story about a 1,000lb Second World War bomb that had remained buried and unexploded in
Echo and Gazette to get new editors
The Sunderland Echo is to get a new editor as Andrew Smith steps aside to concentrate on a new role within the company. He will become full-time editorial director of Northeast Press Ltd, and will be succeeded by Rob Lawson,
News in brief
A loan company that was exposed by the Manchester Evening News – for targeting the poor and then keeping them hanging on £1-a-minute premium phone calls – has been fined £1,000 by phone watchdogs.More than 45 people complained to the
Gazette offers reward
The Shields Gazette has put up a £1,500 reward to catch the killer of a homeless man who died on South Shields seafront. Ex-soldier Richard Jones, (47), was battered to death a week ago. Police say there has been a
Gazette organises guns amnesty
Air gun attacks could be coming to an end in South Tyneside – thanks to the Shields Gazette. The paper is making a concerted effort to outlaw the dangerous ‘toys’ – one of which claimed the life of 14-year-old boy
Payout for rape victim identified in local press
Woman not named but newspaper’s description led to identification
Press can name over-18s in youth courts, says High Court
Northeast Press has won a landmark ruling to name teenage offenders who appear before youth courts after they have reached the age of 18. The High Court said the test case of teenager David Lee Todd, who was named by
UK regional press campaigns
Generous readers of The Shields Gazette have raised £9,000 in less than a month for a little girl who needs £15,000 for surgery on a facial deformity. Editor Rob Lawson said: “I’m delighted with how the appeal has gone so
Appeal joy for Katie
It was a race against time, but The Shields Gazette and its generous readers have raised £15,000 in just six weeks to help a four-year-old girl have urgent facial surgery. Editor Rob Lawson says “Cash For Katie” has been one
Wear1 says 'shout up for Sunderland'
The Sunderland Echo is launching is launching Wear1 – a major campaign to celebrate the city of Sunderland. The campaign slogan is: Celebrate all that’s great about Sunderland – and help make it even better. Its aim is to promote
Echo in bid to win direct rail link to capital
The Sunderland Echo is putting its weight behind a bid to win a direct rail service to London. The paper believes getting a national rail service – which could also run through Seaham and Hartlepool – would boost the city’s
Echo calls on readers to help get a Statue for Stokoe
The Sunderland Echo and sister paper The Shields Gazette are calling on readers to help raise £73,000 to build a statue in honour of former Sunderland AFC manager and FA Cup hero Bob Stokoe. The North East newspapers have joined