YOUR opinions matter and the Lancashire Telegraph is looking for East Lancashire people willing to put forward their views on a wide range of subjects.

We are setting up a panel of readers who will be asked regularly for their take on different topics highlighted in our news and feature pages.

Debate and discussion are the cornerstones of our democracy and if you take a lively interest in local issues of all kinds we want to hear from you.

You will preferably not be an active member of any political party or spokesperson for a specific interest group and you will not be called upon to go to meetings.

But you will be willing to give us your thoughts, when canvassed, on a variety of local issues like, for example, the performance of your nearest hospital, various council decisions, policies and a range of community concerns.

Lancashire Telegraph group editor Kevin Young said: “Our established sport reader juries made up of Blackburn Rovers and Burnley supporters have proved to be an excellent way of finding out what the fans are thinking.

“We now want extend the same principle to local news and find out what a regular panel of people think on various issues.”

If this is a role that appeals to you and you enjoy stimulating debate we would like to hear from you.

l Please contact Nick Nunn, Assistant Editor, Lancashire Telegraph, Newspaper House, High Street, Blackburn BB1 1HT, phone 01254 298381 or email Nick here.