A regional daily is to relaunch early next year with “a striking new design and feel”.

The Yorkshire Evening Post, based in Leeds, is calling for volunteers to join its “exclusive” reader panel ahead of the revamp to give their input on the plans.

The panel will be used to provide feedback on what the YEP has termed an “exciting period of change”.

A similar initiative was launched at fellow Johnston Press title the Northamptonshire Telegraph last month.

YEP editor Jeremy Clifford, pictured, said: “We are keenly aware that a newspaper is nothing without its readers.

“That’s why we are aiming to engage with our readers even more than we have done in the past.

“These are exciting times for the YEP and we’re hoping that people across Leeds will want to get involved with a paper that can be relied upon to stand up for their interests.”

The YEP previously ran a reader panel project which was launched in 2009, attracting more than 1,000 members within a year.

Original panel members are also being invited to sign up to the new venture.

No firm date has yet been set for the relaunch.