RADIO Suffolk scooped a hat-trick of awards last night– including station of the year – at the BBC's equivalent of the Oscars.The station earned two gold and one silver prize at the Frank Gillard Awards, which were held at the National Museum of Film, Photography and Television in Bradford.

RADIO Suffolk scooped a hat-trick of awards last night– including station of the year – at the BBC's equivalent of the Oscars.

The station earned two gold and one silver prize at the Frank Gillard Awards, which were held at the National Museum of Film, Photography and Television in Bradford.

Judges nominated Radio Suffolk as the BBC's top radio station in England, noting the rise in audience figures and praising the consistently hard-working staff. They added the station was strongly local and in touch with its listeners.

Presenter Rachel Sloane picked up the gold award for Best Interactive Programme for her afternoon show.

Judges said the programme was "truly interactive with a real sense of community" and had clinched the title through its involvement with listeners throughout.

Alan Bramwell and Karen Hare, from the Suffolk Action team, won silver in the Best Social Action Campaign category for their work with The Hollies, a social enterprise project based at St Clements Hospital in Ipswich.

Station editor Gerald Main, who collected the award, said: "It's just tremendous news for the whole station.

"Being the best in England was one of our objectives because we wanted to give the possible local service to the people of Suffolk.

"We're really proud of everything we do and to win three awards like this is just fantastic."

The awards follow a Gold Sony award won by the station's breakfast presenter Mark Murphy in May.