Two north-west dailies are again tapping in to live blogging technology to keep readers up-to-date with a high-profile murder trial.

The Liverpool Post and Echo are using 'Cover It Live' to bring readers the latest news from the murder trial of 11-year-old Rhys Jones.

Rhys was shot dead in the city last year yards from his home while cycling home after playing football.

The two papers have reporters stationed both in court and also a special annexe room set up for the massive local and national media interest in the trial.

It is from here that reporters are e-mailing copy directly to Post and Echo newsdesk for checking and uploading to the live blog.

Comments about the blog can be submitted to the website but none will be made live until after the trial for legal reasons.

Echo news editor Maria Breslin told HoldtheFrontPage: "What we're looking to do with the blog is cover the trial as comprehensively as possible.

"This is a massive trial for us and we're providing full coverage.

"It means we're not worrying about having to re-write copy and we've had a lot of success using the blog with events in the past. So far the response has been positive."

The trial is expected to last up to ten weeks and the blog will be used throughout.

The Echo's second print edition is also able to carry some same day coverage while the Daily Post's overnight printing allows for a round-up of the previous day's evidence.

Maria said the idea was spawned by a similar venture at the Evening Star and East Anglian Daily Times, in Ipswich, which posted regular online updates during the trial Steve Wright, who murdered five prostitutes in 2006.

"We couldn't think of a better way of doing it – it's a great way to get the trial out there," Maria added.

The Daily Post has previously used Cover It Live to blog a day in the life of the paper, inviting readers to submit their own ideas for the next day's edition.

And in July both the Daily Post and Echo blogged from the Tall Ships Race which visited the city as part of the Capital of Culture '08 celebrations.

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