<b>Today we can reveal the winners of the most prestigious awards of 2015 - the Suffolk Gazette Awards 2015.</b>

The awards were created to recognise the most brilliant contributions to this newspaper during the course of the year, and also because we never win any of our own.

<b>Most Gullible Comment Writer of the Year - Jason</b>
This was a tough one because so many got confused between fact and fiction. When we revealed a <a href="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/news/german-ww2-soldier/" target="_blank">German WW2 soldier had been found alive living in a Suffolk forest</a>, the comment section filled up with people thinking they were alone in exposing the spoof.

Tom wrote: "This would be an amazing story to believe. A main thing I picked up in is there wouldn’t be a black and white photo of him if he was found recently? For the photo to be B&W like that one he would have to have been spotted in 1944. Also he would be wearing a Luftwaffe uniform and definately not a helmet but a flight cap/ headgear. And the possibility that a man could live in a foreign 'enemy' woodland that long without A surrendering or realising the war was over is almost certainly improbable. As someone also mentioned it would be on national television with a story so important to history as this. Im sorry but it’s just not probable."

And when we reported that a killer Great White Shark was stalking the River Deben, one or two, like reader 'J', got cross: "This has to be a hoax, and get more evidence than just using a google image."

But the hands-down winner was our reader <b>Jason</b>, who took great offence at our brilliant exclusive about the <a href="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/news/russian-submarine-felixstowe/" target="_blank">Russians sending a submarine to spy on Felixstowe</a>. He wrote: "There is no such type of submarine as an Austin Maestro. Akula class, Borie or Yansen class are all active but you have fabricated this story. It seems odd that there are islands in the background and the ship is German. The pospective on the sub is too low to have been taken two miles away."

And he went on: "None of the Russian active subs have this conning tower configuration, not to mention to enter our waters would be an act of war. Oh, and you have plagiarised your photo which comes from airbus website for defence. So I hope you get the sack because any reverse image software will bring up this photo on many web pages. Best check your sources in the future. Oh and the sub is a u209 of the Columbian and German navies not a balistic missile sub."

<center><a href="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/russian-submarine-e1440492314858.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-1530"><img src="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/russian-submarine-e1440492314858.jpg" alt="russian-submarine" width="545" height="363" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1530" /></a></center><center><i>Spotted: The Russian submarine off Felixstowe</center></i><br><br>

His comment was so detailed that it warranted a reply from the Suffolk Gazette Editor, who wrote: "Dear Jason, My Defence Editor assures me there is indeed an Austin Maestro class Russian submarine. It is on secret trials and yet to be shown off to the wider world. This is what makes this scoop even bigger than it first appears. In response to your other points:
– There are islands off Felixstowe, but you normally can’t see them through the drizzle. Also, German ships are allowed to visit Felixstowe (they were only banned under controversial circumstances from 1939 to 1945);
– Our photographer had a very tall ladder in the back of his car, which explains why the perspective of the sub might appear too low;
– As mentioned earlier, this Austin Maestro class is on secret testing, so how would you know what the configuration of its conning tower thingy should be?
– I am amazed to hear the airbus website for defence also snapped the same submarine, so it seems this vessel has been testing in a wider area than we first thought. Interesting;
– I would rather not “get the sack” because how would I then be able to afford my beer? Also, as I am the only one here, who would sack me?
– I can assure you all our sources are checked very closely. If we have had too many pints, I admit that this fact-checking could get a little sketchy.

"I hope this helps. If you need any more clarification, perhaps a visit to the About Suffolk Gazette page might help?

"Finally, I am grateful for your support of our esteemed website; we do so much like hearing from our fans."

<b>Most Gullible Foreign Media Organisation of the Year - POWNED, Netherlands</b>

Suffolk Gazette stories routinely get picked up by other media organisations and republished as fact. Rupert Murdoch's news organisations in Australia are particular culprits, as is the Down Under version of the Guardian.

But one new organisation has been caught out twice. Step forward POWNED!, a Dutch news website which was first caught out by running our story about a <a href="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/news/boy-steals-penguin/" target="_blank">Suffolk boy stealing a penguin from a zoo</a>, but more recently ran our story about the <a href="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/news/pensioner-locked-in-loo/" target="_blank">old lady getting stuck in a public loo</a> for four days, where she settled down to knit a scarf, a "story" which also made the UPI internation news wires.

<center><a href="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/knitting-foreign-e1451305753995.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-2351"><img src="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/knitting-foreign-e1451305753995.jpg" alt="knitting foreign" width="550" height="484" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2351" /></a></center><center><i>You knits: Suffolk Gazette catches out foreign media</center></i><br>

<b>Most Gullible Domestic Media Organisation of the Year - Farming Business magazine</b>

The old lady in the lav story caught most of the British media out as well, with the Mirror, Daily Express, Age UK (which is old enough to know better) - and even ITV News catching a cold. Hats off to The Sun, which initially believed the story but at least checked its facts first because it rang a local correspondent asking him to track down Gladys Phillips, the elderly toilet victim.

<center><a href="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/daily-express-fail-e1451306312370.png" rel="attachment wp-att-2352"><img src="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/daily-express-fail-e1451306312370.png" alt="daily-express-fail" width="500" height="348" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2352" /></a></center><center><i>Daily Express: wool pulled over their eyes</center></i><br><br>

But the winner, for publishing a ridiculous story without checking any facts at all, was the prestigious Farm Business magazine. Worse still, it was in the print edition, so it couldn't excactly remove it very easily (like the Daily Star did after making the same mistake). The story in question? It was the Suffolk Gazette's brilliant <a href="http://Suffolk man has sex with 450 tractors" target="_blank">Suffolk man has sex with 450 tractors exclusive</a>...

<center><a href="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/farm-business-e1451306761785.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-2353"><img src="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/farm-business-e1451306761785.jpg" alt="farm-business" width="300" height="402" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2353" /></a></center><center><i>Cereal offender: Farm Business got caught out</center></i><br><br>

<b>Bah, Humbug! Reader Award - Mick Smith</b>

We're fine with people getting fed up with us - if everyone loved the Suffolk Gazette, the Editor would be a millionaire. However, one negative comment on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/suffolkgazette/" target="_blank">Suffolk Gazette Facebook page</a> particularly tickled our fancy, given that the writer, Mick Smith, took time out from his busy Christmas Eve schedule to send us his good wishes...

<center><a href="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/bah-humbug.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-2354"><img src="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/bah-humbug.jpg" alt="bah-humbug" width="471" height="133" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2354" /></a></center><center><i>Nah, Humbug! Festive cheer from Mick</center></i><br><br>

<b>Most Forgiving People of 2015 Award - Everyone in Norfolk</b>

The people of Norfolk could be forgiven for hating the Suffolk Gazette - after all, so many stories poke fun at our six-fingered, webbed-feet, terrible football team neighbours!

But the county has shown a quite remarkable sense of humour by actually taking the Suffolk Gazette to heart. We have loads of readers from Norfolk, and many of them contribute positively to our vibrant Facebook page community.

We salute you, Norfolk. But only today. Normal service will resume shortly.

<center><a href="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/norfolk-nasa-e1451308458872.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-2358"><img src="http://www.suffolkgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/norfolk-nasa-e1451308458872.jpg" alt="norfolk-nasa" width="559" height="369" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2358" /></a></center><center><i>Stick it up Uranus: Norfolk's NASA probe</center></i><br><br>




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