"A megaphone for the little man - it gives ordinary people a voice in local affairs."

These are the welcome words about the Evening Press from John Shannon, chairman of York Civic Trust in tonight's special supplement to mark Local Newspaper Week.

Tonight we celebrate all that is best about local newspapers - the ways in which we can make your voice heard loud and clear to those people who make the decisions that affect our lives.

But there are threats to that voice. New laws on human rights and data protection can be used by those in authority to stop you, the public, from knowing what is going on.

Already, we have seen some lawyers arguing in court that certain evidence can breach their client's human rights.

Yet this is evidence that should be heard so that juries can make proper decisions. And data protection legislation is being used by some police forces in this country to prevent the release of information about road accidents or those involved in crime.

Newspapers believe strongly that this sort of information was never intended to be withheld under laws which quite rightly give protection to the individual and the individual's right to a private life. But information about, for example, road accidents is public not private.

They involve the public services dealing with something that has happened in public.

What's more, the rest of us are much more likely to take care when driving along the same stretch of road if we know that our neighbour has been injured in an accident, rather than an anonymous person who means little to us.

These new laws are not designed to cut off the flow of information that you are entitled to know.

And the Evening Press will join other newspapers in fighting for the free flow of information in this country.

We want to continue to make our voice heard loud and clear as we stand up for you, the readers.

Together, we are the strongest link.

Racing triumph

YORK Racecourse bosses were confident of a cracking start to the season today.

It would have been nice for the weekend sunshine to have held for the May Festival, but the quality of the field will ensure the meeting attracts visitors to the city from far and wide.

Six months ago the floods turned Knavesmire into a lake.

Then foot and mouth hit racing hard.

So today's meeting is a triumph for all those who have worked so hard behind the scenes to make it happen.

Updated: 11:13 Tuesday, May 15, 2001