RICHARD W. SYMONDS (RWS) - INDEPENDENT ANALYST

Trinity Mirror "said it will off-load its...newspapers in the...South East...Rival publisher Johnston Press...is understood to be interested in the regional newspapers up for sale."

(Source : "Trinity to sell Racing Post", Business Argus, December 15 2006)

If Johnston Press (JP) buy Trinity's East Surrey and Sussex Newspapers (which includes Crawley News), then Crawley Observer and Crawley News are likely to become one.

That would mean only one newspaper for Crawley - JP - just as Worthing has one JP newspaper (Worthing Herald), Haywards Heath (JP-Mid Sussex Times), Horsham (JP-West Sussex County Times), and West Sussex County Council 'Sunday Readers' (JP-West Sussex Gazette).

Johnston Press would have an unhealthy control and monopoly of the printed word throughout West Sussex.

Not a pretty thought for local democracy - of, by and for the people....but a lucrative thought for the local plutocracy - of, by and for the powerful.