DUDLEY News chief reporter Bev Holder has been named Weekly News Reporter of the Year at the prestigious Midlands Media Awards.

Bev, who has covered news for the Stourbridge, Halesowen and Dudley News titles since 1999 and now also takes a leading role in Newsquest's national Data Investigations Unit, fought off tough competition from top Midlands journalists to win the coveted title.

The judges praised her for her "clear, interesting, well-written articles" - in particular her feature about how a Black Country mum was stalked for six years by a woman who befriended her on Facebook.

It was the fourth year running that Bev had been nominated for the top award and she said it was a total shock to hear her name called out at the glitzy ceremony at Villa Park on Friday (November 15) hosted by veteran ITV News Central newscaster Bob Warman and BBC WM breakfast host Llewela Bailey.

Pete Wallace, Audience and Content Editor at Newsquest Stourbridge, said: “We are all extremely proud of Bev – her talent, hard work, determination and dedication to the cause are self-evident on a daily basis, and we feel this honour is just reward for this.

“Bev has been shortlisted for this title on three previous occasions, which also bears testament to her enduring talent as a reporter – we’re delighted for her."

The News Group's sister title Worcester News also won Campaign of the Year for the paper's coverage of a successful drive to raise £500,000 for overseas treatment for a boy with leukaemia; and Newsquest's Oxford Mail won Supplement of the Year for its Oxford United anniversary special edition.