The new editor of a city daily has urged readers to help “shape” the newspaper’s future – telling them she is “merely its custodian”.

Hannah Thaxter, left, took charge at the Yorkshire Evening Post on Monday after previously working in a region-wide role for 27 Johnston Press titles.

Introducing herself to readers on the paper’s Leeds patch, Hannah said she had “bags of ideas” on how to improve the YEP, but wanted readers to help “shape the future of this historic newspaper”.

She encouraged readers to let her know whether her journalists should focus on issues such as transport in Leeds, affordable homes, poverty, homelessness or crime.

Hannah wrote: “The YEP is your newspaper, whatever your involvement with the city and surrounding areas. I am merely the custodian of this title for a while – one of many in its long history – and I will rely on you, the readers of our reports in print and online, to tell me what you want to read about, what we should campaign for, and how we can best use our skills to ask the right things of the right people, to get the answers to your questions.

“But it’s not just the big campaigning issues that I want to hear from you about. I want to know what you think of the YEP as a whole. Which sections and pull-outs do you like? What are we not covering that you’d like us to? What features and information would be useful to you?

“One of the sections I’ve already brought to the paper is our Retro supplement – an eight-page supplement looking back on local and national events from the 1980s.I think it’s fun and entertaining – and brings back quite a few memories – but what do you think?”

She added: “Being a Yorkshire woman, born and bred, and having cut my teeth as a journalist working across West Yorkshire, I have met thousands of people living and working in and around this great city, and I know that together we will make a formidable force for Leeds.”

As Hannah Ridgeway, she formerly edited the Reporter series in the West Riding of Yorkshire, which includes the Dewsbury Reporter, Batley and Birstall News, Spenborough Guardian, Mirfield Reporter and Morley Observer.

Hannah told HTFP: “I have had some responses by email, a long letter, a couple of phone calls and a lovely card welcoming me to my new job!

“It’s clear from the responses that readers want us to be a voice for them, want us to champion causes close to their heart, they love the crosswords and they are pleased that their YEP editor is from Yorkshire.”