The News Shopper used to be one of at least three Bexley newspapers, the
Chronicle and the Times being the others. For anyone interested in what was
going on locally they were essential reading. When Bonkers began in 2009 they
were scoured for local news stories and once in a while they stole one of BiB’s.
I was on good terms with several of the Shopper’s reporters including the one
who was demoted for revealing rather too much of the Council leader’s brush with
the law and their reporters stood by me when a former Bexley Councillor submitted a totally
untrue statement to Kent Police which resulted in me being charged with
Harassment. The CPS dropped the case when they realized that the central plank
of the complaint was a 180° reversal of the truth.
Unfortunately things went downhill for the Shopper when its base moved from Petts Wood
to Sutton and more recently to somewhere in Essex.
The paper became very much detached from Bexley and Brent and Haringey became
local news. Nevertheless I looked at the paper most days via their early morning
news headlines sent to my email account newshopper@. It was mainly not very
interesting fluff pieces but occasionally not.
On several recent occasions no news has been available without registration. I thought I was registered;
how else was I on their mailing list?
For the past week every news item was behind their registration notice and I
really couldn’t be bothered with it. Today the email address newshopper@ has
been deactivated. No more News Shopper.
