LOCAL radio station BBC Three Counties struck gold at the Sony Awards the radio equivalent of the Oscars.

After being nominated every year for five years the 98.0FM station which covers Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire finally walked away with the top prize of Station of the Year.

Robert Perrone's Breakfast Show also won the Interactive Radio award.

As well as the two gold awards, Stephen Rhodes picked up a bronze in the Speech Broadcaster of the Year category.

Mark Norman, editor of BBC Three Counties Radio, said: "To get a Sony Radio Academy nomination is a tremendous achievement."