A REPORTER at Newsquest Somerset said she was "humbled" after winning an award for the most promising trainee at the company.

Kirsty James, who has been working for the company since 2011, was handed the Leanne Gibbons Memorial Award.

The 23-year-old is originally from Shropshire and does most of her work for the Bridgwater Mercury.

She said: “I feel very honoured to have received the award. I enjoy working for the Mercury and it’s humbling to receive recognition for doing my job.”

The award is presented each year in memory of former Newsquest Somerset reporter Leanne Gibbons, 23, who died in 2005 after developing pancreatitis.

Leanne’s death stunned colleagues, and her parents, Cedric and Lesley, decided they wanted their daughter’s memory to live on in the form of the award.