Dan Taylor

The heinous crimes Eleanor Williams claimed she had been subjected to split Barrow after she took to Facebook at the height of the first lockdown. In a long and detailed Facebook post, she alleged she had been groomed for several years by a gang of Asian men operating in Barrow and around the country.

After bitter division, an explosion of hate crimes in the summer that followed the post and court delays, Williams would eventually find herself in the dock at Preston Crown Court having been charged with perverting the course of justice. The Mail's chief reporter Dan Taylor covered nearly every day of a trial that attracted significant national interest and was often the only journalist in the press box - there to report key details of the case, including Williams' testimony.

Where conspiracy theories about her being silenced for speaking out abounded in the community, Dan's extensive coverage of the trial allowed people to see the vast swathes of evidence put forward by prosecutors and make up their own minds. His constant presence at the trial allowed him to land exclusive interviews with men whose lives were torn apart by Williams' allegations.

Following the guilty verdict Dan used his unrivalled knowledge of the case and connections with the victims and police officers who worked on the case to delve into the background of Williams' crimes and set the trial in context. Dan wrote comprehensive background features to paint a more nuanced picture of Williams' crimes and their effect on the town than the one put forward by the country's tabloid press.

He also diligently picked up on the unanswered questions raised by the trial that many other journalists ignored. He held a Williams' mother - a local councillor - accountable for money she received in support of her daughter, bringing news of a charity fundraiser's fight to get the money back. Dan also reported on the repercussions for the police, with the victims bringing legal action against the authority.

He was the first to break the news of Williams launching an appeal against her conviction and the first to report that it had been rejected. With much riding on the case and The Mail's reporting of it, Dan and his colleagues demonstrated the value of the local press.