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Hyperlocal website Saddleworth News experienced a record month for visitors in January following its coverage of the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election.

According to editor Richard Jones the site had more than 30,000 unique visits this month after offering interviews with political leaders David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband as well as a number of other politicians and by-election candidates.

Jones, a former Sky News journalist who launched the site a year ago, was also interviewed himself by both regional and national media about the campaign, including BBC Radio 4 and the World Service.

"I was determined to make the most of the opportunity to cover a story like this in my own patch," he said.

"So I interviewed everyone I could, and asked them about all kinds of Saddleworth issues. I ended up producing coverage which was a lot more detailed than even the local papers managed, and I hope it helped local people make an informed choice on polling day."

He said that the fact leading politicians were happy to speak to him, despite having to take his young daughter along with him for the interviews, shows the credibility of hyperlocal news.

"Even though it may have been unconventional having my daughter with me, both the political parties and the visiting national journalists took me and the website very seriously."

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Written by
Rachel Bartlett

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