Award-winning author and former Yorkshire Evening Post staffer Barbara Taylor Bradford has lent her support to the paper’s striking journalists.

National Union of Journalists members at the YEP, sister daily the Yorkshire Post and associated weeklies started their second four-day strike in Leeds yesterday in a dispute over redundancies.

New York-based Ms Taylor Bradford, who was born in Leeds and started her working life as a typist with the YEP, has contacted the paper saying she is standing behind those taking industrial action.

She said: “I am saddened and appalled to think that the much loved Yorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post might actually disappear.

“I started my newspaper career on the Yorkshire Evening Post when I was a young girl and I certainly stand behind the journalists now on strike because of the redundancy threats.

“Their fight to save local newspapers is truly a valid one. It would be a sorrowful day for everyone in the UK if regional newspapers were no longer published.

“I can only say to those journalists who are striking ‘fight the good fight and pray to win’. I’m rooting for you!”

According to her website, Ms Taylor Bradford progressed from typist up to cub reporter and at age 18 became the editor of YEP’s Women’s Page.

She later moved to London to be fashion editor of Woman’s Own magazine and also worked for the London Evening News, Today Magazine and other publications.

In a separate development, former journalist and Great Grimsby MP Austin Mitchell has tabled an early day motion urging Johnston Press management to meet with the NUJ in a bid to solve the dispute.

The EDM has currently been signed by 25 MPs – visit parliament.uk to read the full motion.