EVENING PRESS reporters were first on the scene when Mark Hobson's victims were found - and first again when the killer was finally cornered.

The first inkling that something was wrong came with reports of police activity in the village of Camblesforth, near Selby, about midway through the morning of Sunday, July 18, last year.

Duty reporter Alex Lloyd was the first journalist there, and she quickly discovered that two bodies had been found in a building - then also heard one of the police officers saying he had just come from Strensall, near York, where they had been "very busy".

Alex felt she could not leave Camblesforth at that stage, so contacted deputy news editor Andrew Hitchon, who went to Strensall, where he found police officers in the grounds of a large detached house.

Both the police and nearby neighbours were reluctant to speak, but it was apparent that something tragic had happened in the house. Andrew was joined shortly afterwards by photographer Nigel Holland - again, first on the scene. Only later that day did police reveal that the elderly occupants of the house had been found brutally killed still later that the two death scenes might be linked.

Exactly a week after the hunt for Hobson began, reporter Matthew Woodcock was first on the scene when police finally found the killer hiding out behind Oakdale Upholstery, off the A19 at Shipton-by-Beningborough.

The store's owner, Robin Wilson, witnessed the dramatic finale of one of the country's biggest manhunts and immediately called the Evening Press newsroom with the words, "He's here - they've caught him."

Matthew was the first journalist to arrive in the village, as dozens of armed police sealed off the road and restrained Hobson in fields behind Mr Wilson's shop.

The normally tranquil village had been transformed into a blur of flashing blue lights and fluorescent police jackets.

Within 30 minutes the Evening Press had been joined by countless national newspaper reporters, and several TV and radio crews.

Updated: 13:56 Tuesday, April 19, 2005