THE Wiltshire Times has beaten top opposition to win a national competition.

Your favourite local paper won the best paid-for weekly category at the annual Newsquest Editorial Awards on Tuesday.

Judge Andrew Smith said: "Packed with news, logically and unpretentiously presented, this is a paper that is a pleasure to read.

"It punches above its weight with interesting, human exclusive stories that are compelling reading, it gets involved in exposing the wrongdoers and celebrating the achievers and it sets about raising support for good causes throughout the year. A worthy winner."

Editor Toby Granville said "This award reflects the dedication our team here have in making sure the Wiltshire Times is the kind of quality paper we think our readers deserve.

"Our aim is to produce a paper that not only lets people know what is happening in their communities and keeps them informed about the latest local issues but is also a really good read.

"It is terrific that this was recognised by the judges."

The awards are run annually by Wiltshire Times parent company, Newsquest, to pick out the best among the more than 300 titles it publishes in the UK.

It is the second time in recent years the Wiltshire Times has won in its category, also triumphing in 2002.

The judges look at the entire content of three editions of the paper, analysing the quality and volume of news, including community news, sports coverage, layout and design, letters, exclusives, campaigns and overall appeal.

The Wiltshire Times also searches for the local angles on stories making the headlines all over the country and even further afield.

The success follows the newspaper's victory at the Newspaper Society awards in November when the Wiltshire Times won the South West & Wales Newspaper Of The Year award.

Judge's view

"The newspaper that scored highest most consistently and emerged as a clear winner was the Wiltshire Times. Packed with news, logically and unpretentiously presented, this is a paper that is a pleasure to read. It punches above its weight with interesting, human exclusive stories that are compelling reading, it gets involved in exposing the wrongdoers and celebrating the achievers and it sets about raising support for good causes throughout the year. A worthy winner."

Special praise for Evry

Wiltshire Times reporter Craig Evry has good reason to raise a glass of Champagne.

Craig, 25, was highly commended in the weekly newspaper reporter of the year section at the Newsquest Editorial Awards.

Beating competition from 22 entries from all over the country Evry was second in the competition to find examples of outstanding journalism.

Commenting on Evry's handling of the court case of murderer Randle Williams, judge Mark Douglas-Hume said: "A text-book example of how to dig up compelling background stories behind a murder verdict, in this case wife-killing, Craig Evry's four-page special covered every single angle."

Stories on the abduction of a 14-year-old Trowbridge girl by a schoolteacher were also singled out for praise and the overall standard of Evry's work was highly regarded.

Evry said: "I was delighted to be recognised in this category for such a prestigious award and pleased to do so well in the face of such stiff competition."

He has worked at the Wiltshire Times for two years and is the dedicated reporter for Trowbridge and the surrounding villages.

In his time at the paper he has also been the reporter for the Melksham and Warminster areas.