AN ex-student of City University London has been given an award for his work as a journalist which included helping to expose the MP’s expenses scandal.

Simon Rogers, of the Guardian, has been awarded the XCity accolade which is given to former students of the university in Northampton Square, Finsbury, who have made an “outstanding contribution to journalism”.

Mr Rogers, who completed a diploma at City University in 1991, was given a �500 prize. He is the editor of online resources offered by the Guardian which are responsible for highlighting news-related data from around the world. He played a key role when the Guardian released data on the MP’s expenses in 2009 and covered WikiLeak’s Afghan war logs.

Professor George Brock, head of journalism at City University London, said: “Simon’s contribution to the advancement of data journalism clearly places him at the forefront of his field and demonstrates the impact he is having on the future of journalism.”

Mr Rogers said: “City gave me my first big break into journalism and I’ll always be grateful for the quality learning I gained at the university which has stayed with me throughout my career.”