TODAY marks the start of Local Newspaper Week -- celebrating the work of the industry and the important part regional papers play in the community.

In the first of our series looking at the role of the Lancashire Evening Telegraph in the region, we highlight successful campaigns this paper has recently undertaken.

Our most high profile has centred around the controversial plans to shut 35 care homes in the county.

After Lancashire County Council announced its proposal, the Evening Telegraph reflected the mood of those most affected -- the elderly -- with a series of articles and 'personal' stories from pensioners.

A protest march followed through the streets of Burnley, attended by 600 people. We then handed in 2,000 protest coupons to county hall which had been filled in and posted to us by readers, along with thousands more signatures collected on the day of the rally.

A string of escapes and incidents at the Calderstones medium secure hospital resulted in the Evening Telegraph calling on bosses to come clean on exactly what type of offender was living there and what they were doing to improve safety.

A year after our campaign was launched, health chiefs unveiled details of a 20-point security plan. This included a fence around the whole complex -- something we had called for from the start.

Our Magic Eye appeal, launched less than a month ago, is snowballing. We aim to raise £200,000 to buy a piece of life-saving equipment to detect cancer and our appeal has won the backing of everyone from a pop star to the Prime Minister.

Years of neglect in Lord Square, Blackburn, highlighted by us, forced the owners to react and announce plans to smarten it up. Standard Life is currently undertaking a mini revamp but we are continuing to fight for a permanent solution.

These cases are the tip of the iceberg in our fight for a better East Lancashire. We try to ensure a fair and just society and every day take on the case of individuals who feel they have been wronged.

We're at the heart of the community and on the side of our readers, day in day out.