THE Northern Echo's website has won a prestigious industry award.

The site, which was relaunched last year, was named Website of the Year by Newsquest, the papers parent company.

It beat off stiff competition from scores of other newspaper sites throughout the country.

The citation reads: "The Echo website comes at the reader/viewer from all angles and uses the full breadth of technology.

"It interacts with readers, and partners, well blending quirky add-ons with the role of an on-line daily. "

The site was also judged to be the best for use of video.

In the print awards, The Northern Echo won the Scoop of the Year category, for an expose about a sex slave cult operating in Darlington.

The newspaper sales and promotions department also walked away with several awards including one for Best Launch, for the Saturday compact edition. Promotions manager Carol Bellinger also won a special Endeavour Award.

Editor Peter Barron said: "It is particularly pleasing to win the Website of the Year because we have invested heavily in extending the brand of The Northern Echo into the new media age. The Northern Echo is more than just a newspaper."