Staff at the Medway Messenger were today celebrating scooping a top prize at a prestigious regional industry award.

KM Group graphic designer Ashley Austen was also sharing the limelight, after he won a prize at the EDF Energy London and the South of England Media Awards.

The Medway Messenger claimed the title of Weekly Paid for Newspaper of the Year.

Judges said: "The Medway Messenger offers readers an extremely good mix.

"There’s a well thought-out approach that strikes a balance between hard news and the lighter side of life.”

Ashley won the Designer of the Year category.

He was praised for his entry, which "included a lovingly crafted special 12-page report on the Thames Estuary airport proposal and a bright and bold online interactive map detailing local connections with James Bond.

"Brilliant combinations of imagery and graphics.”

The awards, held at Sandown racecourse, honour the best in local journalism across London, Dorset, Hampshire, Berkshire, Surrey, East and West Sussex and Kent.

Awards were presented by Martin Pearson, station director of EDF Energy’s nuclear power station at Dungeness, and Paralympic rowing gold medallist Tom Aggar.