THE North-East Press Awards turned into a night of triumph for journalists working for The Northern Echo.

Columnist Mike Amos was presented with a lifetime of achievement award, while Sam Strangeways was crowned North-East Journalist of the Year as The Northern Echo won more individual honours than any other paper.

The paper's strength in depth was underlined by the fact that it had the journalist of the year, plus the best exclusives, the best hard news, the best sports writer, the best features, the best womens writer and the strongest health stories.

Mike Amos, who marks 40 years on the paper this year, was awarded the Graeme Stanton Award for a lifetime's contribution to journalism. He has won the North-East Journalist of the Year title six times and been named North-East Columnist of the Year on numerous occasions.

He also won this year's awards for sport and features and was shortlisted in the columnist and contribution to the community categories.

Sam Strangeways was the other star of the night, winning the award for hard news, and going on to be named North-East Journalist of the Year. The highlight of her portfolio was her investigation into the Just Trucks horsebox fraud.

The exclusive of the year went to Lindsay Jennings for her revelation that former Darlington Football Club chairman George Reynolds had been arrested with £500,000 in his car.

Barry Nelson was health writer of the year and Christen Pears won the prize for women's writing.

Lindsay Jennings and Sarah Foster were shortlisted for the features prize, while Richard Doughty and Gavin Engelbrecht were finalists in the best picture section.

Catherine Jewitt was shortlisted for the best exclusive for her story about a local councillor in Wear Valley who was living in the Caribbean.

The awards were staged at Newcastle Civic Centre, with ITV news presenter Nicholas Owen as guest speaker.

Roll of honour

Consumer Affairs: Andrea Thurlbeck (Sunderland Echo); Business: Gayle Tomlinson (Evening Chronicle); Health: Barry Nelson (The Northern Echo); Arts: Coreena Ford (Sunday Sun); Columnist: Ian Galletley (Teesdale Mercury); Community: John Howe (Sunderland Echo); Women: Christen Pears (The Northern Echo); Exclusive: Lindsay Jennings (The Northern Echo); Initiative: Gayle Tomlinson (Evening Chronicle); Design: Les Oliver (Sunderland Echo); Front Page: Graham Pratt (The Journal); Features: Mike Amos (The Northern Echo); Hard News: Sam Strangeways (The Northern Echo); Sport: Mike Amos (The Northern Echo); Picture: Dave Charnley (Evening Gazette); Photographer: Owen Humphreys (Press Association); Magazine: A Love Supreme; Weekly Journalist: David Sedgewick (News Guardian); Weekly Newspaper: Teesdale Mercury; Trainee: Bethany Usher; Young Journalist: Louise Redvers (Evening Chronicle); Journalist of the Year: Sam Strangeways; Lifetime of Achievement: Mike Amos; Newspaper of the Year: Evening Chronicle.