A 'remarkable' journalist who started her career in Lowestoft has won two prestigious awards three months after her tragic death aged 31.

Christina Earle, described by colleagues as a 'remarkable' and 'formidable' journalist, won the coveted Editor of the Year title and Outstanding Contribution accolade at the Medical Journalists' Association annual awards.

Her first job was as a broadcast journalist and newsreader at The Beach in Lowestoft and Radio Norwich before she went on to become the Sun's health features editor, masterminding campaigns and stories raising awareness among millions of readers.

Christina's husband Oli Newbury, who she married last year, received the awards at an emotional ceremony in London earlier tonight.

'Christina was an incredible talent and her death at such a young age was tragic,' said Lawrence McGinty, association chairman and former ITV science and medical editor.

'Her dedication to her readers and ability to connect with them shone through everything she did.

'Her work on the Sun's health features pages was outstanding. She produced insightful, engaging stories and campaigned for the readers she cared so deeply about.'

Jenny Hope, a distinguished medical journalist who was on the judging panel, added: 'The category is all about connecting with the reader and we felt Christina demonstrated this in the stories, the design and the forma they were presented in. The heart-warming and engaging material, which was highly relevant to the readership, won the day.'

The Outstanding Contribution award is the highest honour of the awards which recognises the person who has made the most significant impact in health or medical journalism over the last year.

Christina joined the Sun in 2011 and was promoted to health features editor in 2017. She launched the paper's inaugural Who Cares Win awards for NHS staff later the same year.

She produced the Sun's weekly eight-page pull-out health special and was instrumental in a string of campaigns that improved and saved lives while also raising funds for worthy causes.

Speaking ahead of the news, Christina's sister Catherine Earle said: 'We're so proud of what she managed to achieve in her lifetime. She has left an amazing legacy - one we're sure will continue - and as her family, we feel honoured to have been part of it.'