The National Association of Press Agencies has urged the BBC to start buying in local content from its members.

The suggestion follows news from BBC head of news James Harding earlier this month that the corporation is investigating ways to buy content from local newspapers.

NAPA chairman Jon Harris, also MD of Manchester-based Cavendish Press, said: “I’m not sure why the BBC would turn to local papers for their news content when sadly quality journalism is being affected by the culling of jobs and the closure of publications in the interests of furthering a web based agenda.