LOCAL Newspaper Week this week has won the support of some big name celebrities including broadcaster Richard Madeley, actor Dame Helen Mirren and even the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney.

They've all said how Britain would be worse off without papers such as the Mid-Devon Advertiser series.

Former Olympian and BBC broadcaster Jonathan Edwards summed up their thoughts when he said: 'By giving people who might not otherwise be heard a powerful voice, local papers can bring about real, positive change for individuals and organisations who badly need help but have nowhere else to turn.

'In the age of social media in which anyone can be a publisher, local newspapers' role as a source of trusted and accurate information has become even more vital.'

We thank the high fliers for the vote of support but in truth we were more interested in what our readers had to say about why they read a local paper – so out and about we went.