On the second day of Local Newspaper Week, News Shopper speaks to council and police figures from Bexley about the importance of their favourite paper.

Bexley Council’s cabinet member for community safety Councillor Katie Perrior believes local newspapers are an invaluable resource for both local politicians and residents.

She said: “I think local newspapers are extremely important, there’s no other medium which can get news to people quicker.

“I know the News Shopper website is well-used and I go on it regularly.

“I like to read the comments on there.

“Politicians get really good feedback, which is really important to us.”

Cllr Perrior said: “I think there will always be a place for News Shopper.

“You can tell the value of News Shopper when people complain they don’t receive it. They do miss it if they don’t get it. People clearly find it important.

“From my research at the council, people want to know what’s going on in their area."

She added: “I don’t believe in council newspapers.

“All these councils paying for weekly newspapers must be off their rocker.

“I don’t know how they can afford them.”

Bexley police’s Chief Inspector Steve Murrant, who is in charge of licensing in the borough, says newspapers such as News Shopper are important in getting out the police’s message to households.

He said: “I have a very good relationship with News Shopper.

“It’s a very good medium which goes to an awful lot of households in the borough.

“People won’t necessarily read a pamphlet or a letter but they will flick through the News Shopper.

“It is a very useful mechanism for us to get a story across.”

LOCAL NEWSPAPERS BY NUMBERS

40 million people read a local newspaper each week, making it the most widely read print medium in the country

38 per cent of readers prefer print as their preferred medium for opinion or comment journalism ahead of of online (28 per cent) and television (18 per cent)

£1 spent by large UK retailers on print ads yields £5 in revenue, compared with £2.15 for television and £3.44 for online advertising

37 million unique users visit local media websites each month