BOLTON Evening News photographer Andy Lambert has won the prestigious North West Photographer of the Year title at a top newspaper awards ceremony.

The 34-year-old lensman beat photographers from across the region to scoop the first prize and the coveted title in the North West Newspaper Awards.

Andy, who has been at the Bolton Evening News for 12 months, won through to the final alongside photographers from the Liverpool Echo and the Wigan Evening Post.

His pictures, taken between October 1996 and March this year, included exclusive shots of soccer star Ryan Giggs, boxer Frank Bruno at Bolton town hall and deputy prime minister John Prescott.

Judges highly recommended three of his pictures which included an Easter picture of a chicken and an egg and a multiple pile up on St Peter's Way taken earlier this year. The North West Newspaper Awards are organised by the North West Guild of Editors and supported by BNFL. They are the region's top accolade for photographers and journalists.

Andy, a father-of-four - including recent twin daughters - said: "It is a big honour to get this award.

"I am very pleased. They had received the highest number of entries this year and I was up against a lot of competition."

Bill Anderton, Head of Media Affairs at BNFL, said: "The competition is now in its sixth year and we have had a number of record entries, of which the quality and standard has been extremely high.

"Some of the country's most talented professionals are from the North West and I am delighted that they are setting the standard for others to follow."

The judges were two editors outside the region, Chris Bye of the Yorkshire Evening Post and Sean Dooley of the Stoke Evening Sentinel. Sean said: "The entries were very impressive, particularly Andy Lambert, who had a strong all round portfolio."

As reported in Saturday's BEN, Andy picked up a £500 cheque and certificate at the award ceremony held at the Haydock Thistle Hotel on Friday in Haydock.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.