In the past The News has scored major campaigning successes – demanding resignations over the fiasco at the Spinnaker Tower, and forcing the Ministry of Defence to properly recognise the heroics of the veterans who risked their lives in the Arctic to keep the Soviet Union supplied during the Second World War.

More recently the campaigns have kept coming, and kept notching up successes.

In recent weeks the Blue Day project, backing Pompey in their FA Cup semi-final clash with West Brom while raising money for the Tom Prince Cancer Trust, was launched. It went so well Blue 2 Day is now on the cards, the day before the FA Cup final.

In the lead-up to Blue Day there were stories daily in the newspaper and on our website for two weeks, tracking people's fund-raising initiatives before the day on April 4 which raised a huge £50,000 for the charity – and we are still counting.

Clinton Prince, Tom's dad, said he was amazed at the support they received. He said: 'Without Blue Day God knows where we would have been. We have had such a positive response thanks to the people of Portsmouth.

'The News have been with us since day one, backing Tom's trust. We were shocked at how much power and responsibility that the press still has.'

Blue Day saw thousands of people in the region wearing blue for the day, and in a tribute the newspaper was printed in blue.

Mr Prince, 49, added: 'When you open up the paper and see what people are doing to help it is fantastic.'

'We couldn't have done it without The News and we take our hats off to you.'

And we haven't stopped there. The News hopes to raise even more for Blue 2 Day on May 16 which will celebrate Pompey going to the FA cup final.

Matt Jackson, Blue Day co-ordinator at The News said: 'I was amazed at the response from our readers and the way they got behind Blue Day – I never imagined that we would raise £50,000.'