Bristol Evening Post reporter Emily Koch has been named Trainee Feature Writer of the Year at the annual Excellence in Journalism awards.

Emily, 24, was presented with her award by Helen Boaden, head of BBC news, at the Society of Editors' conference near London yesterday.

The awards are run by the National Council for the Training of Journalists and Emily entered two features.

One was an interview with the grandmother of Charlie-Bob Townsend, the six-year-old boy killed by his own father who then hanged himself at his home in Long Ashton.

A year after Charlie-Bob's death, Ann Hey spoke movingly about how she has struggled to cope with the loss of the lively, intelligent and loving little boy.

Emily's second entry was a piece about an Italian grandmother living rough on the streets of Bristol.

Emily, who has been working for the Evening Post for 18 months, collected her award a week after her final journalism exams.

Five other trainees were shortlisted for the award.

Emily said: "Obviously it is very exciting to be recognised for doing a job that I love.

"The stories I submitted were ones that I felt were the best I had written this year."