IT WAS three cheers for The Press as our journalists scooped a hat-trick of prizes in the region’s top media awards.

Our news, features and photography teams all won accolades at the O2 Media Awards for their outstanding work over the past year.

The awards ceremony in Leeds on Thursday recognised the crème de la crème from the region’s newspapers, radio stations, TV channels and websites.

Stephen Lewis won the award for best feature writer, Jennifer Bell was named best young journalist, and Anthony Chappel-Ross won the title of best photographer.

Anthony’s portfolio of pictures included a stunning image of a rider being thrown from her mount at the Bramham Horse Trials; one of John Prescott doing an impression of then Prime Minister Gordon Brown; and an endearing snap of a frolicking lamb near Kexby in the spring.

The judges described Anthony’s pictures as “a stunning mix of news, sport and features”.

Stephen’s winning entries included an expedition to the cut-off village of Beck Hole during the big freeze and an eye-witness account from the operating theatre, as surgeons fought to save a patient’s life.

The judges said: “This is a journalist who doesn’t know the meaning of a comfort zone. No matter what the subject is, he gets off his backside and puts himself in the thick of it to get the best words possible.”

The judges said Jennifer was “inquisitive, determined and had something you can’t teach – a nose for a news story”.

They said they were impressed by her string of exclusives, battling campaigns and fruitful interviews. Her submission included her pioneering work on our Menace Of Mephedrone campaign, which was launched in January and which helped lead to the banning of the drug in April.

Steve Hughes, managing editor of The Press, said: “I am delighted that the work of three of our journalists has been recognised at these awards.

“It is a testimony to the quality of their work and reflects our determination to provide our readers with the very best coverage of news, sport and features from across our patch.”