A former editor-in-chief at a newspaper company won celebrity backing for the launch of a hyperlocal news website.

Graham Breeze, who held the role at NWN Media, has set up mywelshpool.co.uk with former colleague David Williams, who is a media consultant.

And TV weathergirl Sian Lloyd joined the co-founders at the launch of the website, saying it was an ‘exciting development’ in how local news was communicated.

The site will provide news, sport, business, features and community announcements for the market town.

Weathergirl Sian Lloyd is backing the new website.

Graham, a former editor of the Powys County Times, who is now a media and public relations advisor, said: “We have been blown away by the early response from the local community.

“The website is not a competitor for any of the current media serving the needs of Welshpool and the surrounding area.

“There is a real need for the community to have access to instant information and that is what we will aim to achieve.

“We have been particularly encouraged by the response from the business sector who have identified that a web site like this can provide excellent value-for-money as we are talking directly to their next customers.

“With very low set-up costs, the potential for strong returns is good and we believe that this is the way that local news will be communicated in the future.”

He added the site already had 2,000 Facebook members who will be notified daily of breaking stories.