THE Cambs Times and Wisbech Standard have tasted more success, this time at the prestigious East of England Media Awards. News Editor John Elworthy was named Print Journalist of the Year (Weekly) for the second time at yesterday s award ceremony, held at

THE Cambs Times and Wisbech Standard have tasted more success, this time at the prestigious East of England Media Awards.

News Editor John Elworthy was named Print Journalist of the Year (Weekly) for the second time at yesterday’s award ceremony, held at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire.

Judges described John as "a reporter who clearly knows his community well and whose entry demonstrated the value of having good contacts”.

Reporter Tom Jackson picked up the award for Newcomer of the Year. Judges said Tom "submitted three quality pieces of journalism, all of which went beyond the obvious and showed real skill at building and maintaining contacts."

The Cambs Times was also highly commended in the Weekly Newspaper of the Year (Free) category. The award was won by its Archant Herts and Cambs stablemate, the Hunts Post.

Cambs Times and Wisbech Standard photographer Brian Purdy was highly commended in the photographer of the year category.

The website, Archant Herts and Cambs 24, also won regional website of the year for the second year running. Judges said last year's winner "continues to give a strong showing. It is a neat and tidy site but is still very busy, with lots to do”.

And there was a special award for Editor Brian Asplin – who retires today (Friday) after almost 44 years with the paper – for services to local journalism.

Brian, who joined the Cambs Times as a trainee reporter in 1964, was given a standing ovation as he picked up his award.

The awards, sponsored by EDF Energy, were open to newspapers and broadcasters based in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and parts of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.