Dorset Echo reporter Miriam Phillips has achieved double success as the region’s leading young journalist.

For the second year running she collected the Jane Hayward Memorial Trophy for the Young Journalist of the Year in the annual Hammond / Whiteley Awards, organised by the Bournemouth and Dorset branch of the National Union of Journalists.

The awards recognise excellence in local journalism and help to promote high standards within the industry. They were presented this year in front of an invited audience at Bournemouth University.

Martyn Benn, branch chairman, and chairman of the judges praised Miriam, 25, for taking the trouble to get three great follow-ups to what would have been fairly ordinary stories.

Miriam said: “It’s a great honour and it’s nice to be appreciated for all my hard work.”

Bournemouth Daily Echo journalists picked-up two awards; the Reporter of the Year category going to Melanie Vass and the Photographer of the Year title to Richard Crease.

The Judges’ Award, which was introduced to honour all-round excellence, was claimed by local journalist and author Neil Glass for his well written and researched book ‘Squandered’, which outlines how the Government is wasting over one trillion pounds of taxpayers’ money.