On a bright Summer's day in June 2002, Lelaina Hall was swept off Somerset's Berrow Beach, a famous coastline that attracts thousands of tourists every year.

The heartbreaking mud-trap rescue bid was reported across the pages of the Western Daily Press, national newspapers, TV and radio. But the story did not end there as the Western Daily Press, the only regional newspaper in the area, wanted to enlist the community to ensure no other child suffered the same fate. The response was overwhelming.

The next day the Daily Press sent a team of reporters and photographers into the area of Bridgwater Bay where Lelaina had died and thousands of families holidayed each year. And what they found shocked the executives back in the newsroom. Coastguards and emergency workers had a long history of being called out to rescue people trapped in the mud. And rescues were almost impossible with helpers often scrambling on all fours across planks to get to the victims. If that wasn't bad enough the treacherous mudflats had no warning signs.

THE CAMPAIGN BEGAN.

First the Western Daily Press took on the council, calling for new signs to be erected immediately. There was dissent from some local dignitaries, believing that tourism would be hit. The newspaper was relentless, and even went to war printing its own warning signs - and putting them up along the shoreline. As the war of words raged on, sackfuls of letters arrived in support of the campaign.

Meanwhile, journalists scoured the internet looking for a rescue craft that could skim over soft mud, and found the BBV6 hovercraft made in Sweden. It was used to race across soft, deadly snow in mountain rescues. A reporter flew out to Stockholm to test it and within days the Lelaina Hovercraft appeal was launched, with the backing of the victim's family.

Front page leads, spreads, blurbs, posters and fund-raising events followed. And all the time a dedicated team of reporters, Ruth Wood, Colette Jackson, Wendy Best, Mike Ribbeck, Simon Steel, Yvonne Cook, Joy Summerhill-Smith, Newspaper Sales, the Picture Desk, and graphic artists, kept in touch with councillors, the police, Lelaina's family, coastguards, rescue services, churchmen, holiday camp owners throughout the area, local weekly newspapers, TV and radio stations.

They needed to raise £35,000. The money started to roll in from readers, pensioners, mums, dads, schoolchildren and companies. In just three weeks the total came to £37,000 and the cash kept coming.

They were swamped with letters and even the councillors came on side, erecting warning signs and joining the campaign, which as well as the hovercraft, was aiming to buy a boathouse, the latest sonar equipment, and a crew to be trained and man the rescue craft.

In just nine weeks the newspaper hit its target. The boathouse was built on the Burnham-on-Sea promenade, the crew trained, the hovercraft delivered and the sonar equipment installed. The campaign had raised £115,000.

The Daily Press has since won awards for Community Campaign of the Year and Regional Newspaper of the Year at the Press Gazette Regional Press Awards, Campaign of the Year by Northcliffe and it was commended by the Newspaper Society.

To submit details of your own scoops or campaigns for the website, please complete the online form or contact Jodie Ward on 020 7693 0440 or e-mail jodie_ward@newspapersoc.org.uk.

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