The team that produces the Gravesend and Dartford Messenger newspapers has walked away with a host of accolades at the Kent Press and Broadcast Awards.

Chief reporter Lizzie Massey was named print journalist of the year, beating the cream of Kent journalism to the top individual title.

The judges liked the fact that all her entries were not only exclusives but were "well-written, poignant and had a human interest aspect".

Her colleague Tom Acres was named young journalist of year - the most competitive category - after having been at the paper for less than a year.

His stories about schoolchildren visiting Auschwitz, the boy denied a school treat after being knocked down and a milkman taking great dawn pictures on his rounds, caught the judges' eyes. They praised his "excellent range of stories" calling them "powerful, punchy and poignant". They also said he was a classy and very adaptable writer.

The team also enjoyed a high commended award for both the Gravesend and Dartford Messengers in the newspaper of the year category.

Host Cathy Newman, Channel 4 News presenter, said: "The judges noted that both papers contained different news – and lots of it, including strong public interest stories. They said the Dartford and Gravesend Messengers were what a local paper used to be and should be."

Also highly commended were Steve Tervet, who writes on Fleet and Dartford, for sports journalist of the year and our sports editor Matthew Panting for newspaper designer.

The awards were held at the Spitfire St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury and organised by Maxim PR.