LOCAL Heroes - The Northern Echo's grass roots sports supplement - has been highly commended in a national awards ceremony organised by The Newspaper Society.

The weekly supplement, a salute to the unsung heroes of local sport, was commended in the Community Newspaper of the Year category.

And The Northern Echo Local Heroes Awards 2001 - a ceremony hailed as "the Oscars of grass roots sport" -was also highly commended in the Best Event class.

The event, co-sponsored by Darlington Building Society and Century FM, was held at a packed Tall Trees Hotel, near Yarm, in November.

Football league pioneer the Reverend Kip Watson was crowned the outstanding Local Hero of 2001. Kip won the award for his foresight in launching an over-40s football league in Sunderland more than 20 years ago.

Starting with six teams, the league has blossomed into a 64-team competition, with five divisions and more than 1,500 players, in areas from Teesside to Morpeth.

Since its inception in August 1999, Local Heroes has become the essential source of news for North-East men and woman who play sport for the sheer love of it.

As well as Local Heroes, the paper was also runner up in the Best Newsbill category.

The awards, which celebrate successful and innovative sales promotions, were presented at a gala event in Bristol by Stephen Walker, circulation director of the Western Mail, Lisa Robinson, sales manager of IMS Media, and David Hoath, marketing director of The Newspaper Society.

* Don't miss your copy of Local Heroes in The Northern Echo tomorrow.