TOP OF THE SHOPS

POP in for a paper or a packet of cigarettes at Kirit Ved s newsagent s shop and you could be in a European city on the continent instead of Hackney...

POP in for a paper or a packet of cigarettes at Kirit Ved's newsagent's shop and you could be in a European city on the continent instead of Hackney.

The incredible variety of foreign newspapers and magazines on the shelves has just helped the popular shopkeeper win the newsagent trade'' equivalent of an Oscar..

The owner of VED News in Stoke Newington Church Street has just been named Independent Newsagent of the Year 2007.

The prestigious honour is awarded by the National Federation of Retail Newsagents, which represents 19,000 independent newsagents across the UK.

French, Italian, German, Spanish and American daily newspapers including L'Equipe, Corriere Della Sera, Liberation, La Gazetta Dello Sport, The Wall Street Journal, El Pais, La Monde, Le Figaro, de Bild, Frankfurter and US Today share shelf space at Kirit's newsagent's with familiar English-speaking titles including The Times, The Sun and, of course, the Hackney Gazette.

The shop is unique outside of central London for stocking such a wide selection of international titles

Kirit, who was presented with an inscribed trophy and certificate at a glittering ceremony at Birmingham NEC, says the array of publications he stocks reflects Stoke Newington's multi-cultural diversity - from the area's well-travelled bi-lingual trendies to Kurdish refugees and even overseas tourists.

"You'd be surprised how many tourists we get coming to see the sights of Stoke Newington in the summer and wanting to buy their own language papers," he said.

FOR THE FULL STORY SEE THIS WEEK'S GAZETTE AVAILABLE NOW.