Wandsworth Guardian reporter Eleanor Harding was named Weekly Reporter of the Year at the inaugural NUJ Regional Press Awards this afternoon.

Eleanor fought off stiff competition from regional newspapers up and down the country to win the accolade.

An ecstatic Eleanor said: “All the journalists who were nominated were really amazing and it’s such a privilege to have won this award.

“At the Wandsworth Guardian we strive to produce quality news for our community and we will continue to do so for many years to come.”

She won the award for a hard-hitting report of a grandfather murdered by his grandson and an expose about a mentally ill man allowed to die in squalor.

Ever the dedicated reporter, Eleanor said she may wait until the weekend to break out the champagne. She said: “I won’t go too crazy because I’ve got work tomorrow.”

Last May, Eleanor trumped journalists from national newspapers and magazines to be named Mind Journalist of the Year for her work on a mental health anti-stigma campaign run across South London Guardian titles.

Croydon Guardian reporter Kirsty Whalley was shortlisted in the Campaign of the Year category for a campaign which revealed that dozens of World War One soldiers from Croydon had been left off the Debt of Honour – the official record of the war dead.

The Sutton Guardian and Croydon Guardian newspapers were on the long list for Newspaper of the Year.

Newly appointed Wimbledon assistant editor Paul Cahalan and Sutton Guardian Chief Reporter Julia Kennard and Kirsty Whalley were all long listed for Weekly Reporter of the Year. Julia was also longlisted for her campaign to free a Carshalton businessman from an Iraqi jail on false terrorism charges.