The Scunthorpe Telegraph has enlisted an online panel of readers to find the opinions of local people on a number of hot topics.

The newspaper has launched the Voice of Scunthorpe, an interactive forum which will allow readers to have their say – and the Telegraph will then take the findings to the authorities and demand action.

Almost 300 readers have so far signed up to take part in the initiative on Thisisscunthorpe and, as well as providing stories for the newspaper, the results will help shape the style of the Telegraph’s coverage.

Editor Jon Grubb said: “We will be asking for their views on topics such as crime and anti-social behaviour, council tax, leisure facilities, wind farms and speed cameras.

“Every month members of the panel will be e-mailed a link to a questionnaire, and the results compiled by Northcliffe’s marketing team before being presented in the paper.”

The first questionnaire to be sent out is on crime, and in a bid to get results the paper has also sent a copy to chief police officers, to reassure them that the questionnaire doesn’t contain ‘loaded’ questions.

Jon said: “We’re hoping that the ‘movers and shakers’ will accept the results and we will press for changes to be made based on the outcome of the questionnaires.

“People often tend to think that their voice doesn’t count and we want to make sure that it does – and make sure that those in authority listen.”

The initiative is a first for the Telegraph’s parent company, Northcliffe, and if successful it could be rolled out to other titles within the group.

The project will initially run for one year, but Jon says if it proves popular this could be extended.

He said: “I’m hopeful that it will continue beyond that. Clearly most of the major issues don’t change, but readers’ attitudes to them do change, so this could become a permanent fixture.”