Reader comments and interactivity on newspaper websites are the subject of some debate.

But not at the Westmorland Gazette, where they're going down a storm.

What started off as a pop at the paper's news values soon turned around and proved a platform for reader wit and repartee.

The seemingly innocuous headline Chair destroyed, rather unnecessarily by-lined to Andrew Daniels, told the three-paragraph story of an office chair set on fire in a grassy area by vandals. The fire crews obliged, using one hose jet.

Job done. Hit the "publish" button.

Too easy. Sit back and wait for the readers to take over...

Here's a selection of what they had to contribute - and comments from Andrew:

(The full feedback can be read here).

Posted by: Elton Welsby, 401-331 on 10:49pm Thu 1 Feb 07

Chair, Chair - over there?
Chair, Chair - on fire!
Chavs and Younglings everywhere.
His cells have the highest concentration of
midi-chlorians I have seen in a life form

Posted by: Andrew Daniels, Kendal on 3:34pm Fri 2 Feb 07

I'm the journalist "who's got to start somewhere" and as you can see it's turned out to be a very popular story.
It's nice of you all to have taken up so much of your time to comment and it's turned out to be the talk of the newsroom!
If only all my stories generated this much feedback and interest!

Posted by: Andrew Daniels, Kendal on 5:05pm Tue 6 Feb 07

At first glance I thought I had done all that was necessary to cover this story but after all this interest I'm going to see if I can locate the chair and put all this speculation to bed - hopefully if I find the chair it won't make my feel ill.
I did have to start somewhere but something like this is too big a story for a new starter. It takes years of experience to generate so much interest in what at first seemed an innocuous story.
Becky, if you were an avid fan I would have expected you to have read many of my thrilling stories.
Classics include changes to seating arrangements at town council meetings (chairs again!) and the number of hanging baskets to be put up around Windermere.
We've even had a story on broken glass in Kirkby Stephen.

Posted by: Gilbert O'Sullivan, Hollywood on 1:15am today

With apologies to Gilbert O'Sullivan, to the tune of 'Clare'.....
Chair. The moment I met you, I swear.
I felt as if something, somewhere,
had happened to me, which I couldn't see.

And then, the moment I met you, again.
I knew in my heart that we were friends.
It had to be so, it couldn't be no.

But try as hard as I might do, I don't know why.
You get to me in a way I can't describe.

Words mean so little when you look up and smile.
I don't care what people say, to me you're more than a stool.

Oh Chair. Chair ...

Posted by: Popular Futon Front, Sweden on 10:47am today

We, the Popular Futon Front are contacting you to claim responsibility for the murder of the chair in Kendal on Friday, January 26
We did tip off the police prior to the horrific murder to let them know of our vicious intentions, but alas they did not take our warning seriously.