[garinda]

The quality of the paper has certainly gone down the pan since the Accrington Observer became part of the M.E.N. group of newspapers.

Years ago young journalists could learn their craft working for the Observer, and the best could go on to better things, a few made a name for themselves on Fleet Street.

The only positive thing to say nowadays about the Oberver is that the quality of journalism is marginally better than that of the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

I suppose the Editor's riposte would be that they don't have enough staff to investigate stories fully. A weak excuse in my book, as with today's technology checking facts has never been easier.

There has been more than one front page 'headline' story that has just been lifted from the internet. Remember 'Dogging on the King's Highway'? A total non-story, that was just repeating word for word what some anonymous source had posted on an adult website. Then there was the Clayton man on YouTube who bit the head of a chicken.

The Washington Post it ain't, more like a spotty youth, with a low grade pass G.S.C.E. in English, trawling the web, and looking for 'exclusives'.