THE Warrington Guardian picked up Print Team of the Year at last night's O2 Media Awards.

Judges said it was the 'toughest year yet' during the ceremony at Chester Racecourse as the number of entries swelled to a record number. 

The Warrington Guardian team were commended for their work around the Mr Smith's blaze including producing a rolling live news blog while the office was still smoke-logged.  

Judges said: "When news breaks you want your team of reporters to respond, quickly and effectively.

"This was the case when one of Warrington’s most iconic buildings was engulfed by flames in the early hours of the morning, just yards away from the Guardian’s offices.

"The editorial team negotiated their way through police cordons and set to work in a smoke logged newsroom.

"A rolling news blog kept the town updated on what was happening, followed with dramatic words, pictures and videos which were then repurposed for a special print edition of the paper."

The Warrington Guardian's website was also highly commended during the ceremony. 

Judges added: "The Warrington Guardian adopted a new and refreshing approach to delivering news and information via the web.

"Gone were the days of simply publishing a selection of stories online – today’s website offered a varied and ‘ultra local’ information service, geared to generate reaction and interaction with new readers.

"The site was constantly changing and evolving - an excellent example of how a weekly newspaper can develop readership platforms."