A group of MPs has urged regional publisher Johnston Press to retain the Sunderland Echo as a daily title, even though there are no current plans to take it weekly.

Sunderland MPs Julie Elliott, Bridget Phillipson and Sharon Hodgson all spoke out about the merits of daily publishing in a series of messages for Local Newspaper Week.

Ms Elliott said:  “It is essential for Sunderland to keep the Echo as it is.  The benefits of a daily compared to a weekly paper are immeasurable. With a weekly you can miss out on important day-to-day news.”

Added Ms Phillipson: “It is important that it remains a daily paper so that the people of Wearside get up-to-date information on what is happening locally, rather than just a weekly round-up of news.”

Ms Hodgson said:  “The Echo is one of Sunderland’s defining institutions. Because it is daily, it can cover far more local stories and play a much bigger role in local life than it could as a weekly, and I sincerely hope that’s not the way we are heading.”

Five JP titles are publishing their final daily editions tomorrow before going weekly from next week.  Chief executive Ashley Highfield has said there will be no further such conversions this year.