A Billingham retailer was recently crowned the Member of the Year at an awards night.

Martin Ward, of Cowpen Lane News, was awarded the Member of the Year at the annual Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN) awards night.

The NFRN presented 13 awards to their members and suppliers throughout the night in recognition of their commitment to the industry.

The ceremony took place at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on January, 28.

Television presenter and journalist Naga Munchetty hosted the prestigious awards evening.

The NFRN selected Martin for the award due to the outstanding contribution he has made to the Federation and to its members.

In a video showed during the awards presentation, staff paid tribute to him, describing him as a 'fantastic person to work for'.

There was one final surprise for Martin who thought that his wife Helen was running the shop while he was in London for the awards ceremony.

Neither Helen nor the NFRN wanted her to miss this special occasion, so - unknown to Martin - she had travelled to London and joined him on the stage when he accepted the award.

Martin said: “I was so shocked to win. Watching the video from our staff, customers and my wife was very emotional.”