'Maddie Alive and Safe' has been chosen as the winning entry in a competition run by a regional newspaper which asked readers to come up with a dream headline.

The headline was submitted to the Liverpool Echo by reader Sylvia French, in reference to Leicester youngster Madeleine McCann who went missing while on holiday with her parents in the Algarve four years ago.

It was picked by the Echo news team because it was felt that it was "a headline that everyone would want to see" and was described as "succinct but emotive."

The competition was held in conjunction with the newspaper being awarded Freedom of the City, which senior journalists from the Echo and sister title the Liverpool Daily Post will collect today.

Other favourite subjects included Ken Dodd's knighthood campaign, The Beatles and the city's two football clubs, particularly hopes of a big-money Everton buy out.

Many readers sent in political headlines, with the recession, fuel prices, Afghanistan and world peace all popular themes.

The news team at the Echo said they chose Sylvia's entry because of her concise headline that shone out above the rest.

She won a bottle of champagne and a framed, full size copy of her front page.

The Lord Mayor of Liverpool Councillor Frank Prendergast will present the freedom of the city honour today to Echo editor-in-chief Alastair Machray and the managing director of Trinity Mirror North West and Wales Warren Butcher.

The Liverpool Daily Post and Echo have been awarded accolade by the city council for the relentless charity campaigns that have featured in the two titles and for their contribution to the city for the last 200 years.

Said Alastair: "We are delighted, excited and privileged in the extreme, to be recognised in this way by the city we serve and have been proud to serve for so many years."

"From their earliest days, the Post and the Echo set out to champion this city; to be a force for good. To be campaigners.

"At the core of our brand values is the belief that Liverpool and Merseyside is a great place to live; a great place to work; and a great place to do business."

Leader of Liverpool City Council Councillor Joe Anderson said that like the Mersey, the Three Graces, the football clubs and the Beatles, the Post and Echo have helped make Liverpool what it is today.