Dear Reader

HELLO and welcome to your Wednesday edition of The News, which includes the last of our scene-setters before voters go to the polls tomorrow.

In the past week we have profiled all the areas holding elections, and Portsmouth and Winchester are featured on pages 8&9 today.

Since arrangements were changed during the coronavirus pandemic, many towns and cities have adiopted new election practices and some, but not all votes will be counted straight after polls close.

That is one of the reasons why we have decided not to hold back printing of Friday’s edition to include results, and instead, immediate coverage will be online at portsmouth.co.uk. It does mean, however that we will bring you full results and reports in Saturday’s paper, along with analyusis of what it all means for the local political scene.

Our lead story, about the naming of a new lifeboat after one of the city’s most celebrated RNLI heroes, is on pages 4&5.

And congratulations to Gosport PCSO Dawn Ayres, whose efforts to clamp down on shoplifters have been recognised. Read her story on page 19.

Mark Waldron Editor