Once again the issue of a headline has caused an outcry with some readers - in Denholme. The Town Mayor in the letters column opposite demands an unconditional apology from me.

The call for an apology was made when I attended an open session of the Town Council meeting earlier this week. I was invited to account for my actions.

It followed last week's page one story about the Reverend Elizabeth Thomas's article in a parish magazine. It was headlined 'Godless' Denholme.

I apologise to the Rev Elizabeth Thomas for any distress the headline may have caused her. That was not the intention.

The word Godless had single quotation marks round it, which could have indicated it was a word used by the vicar. It wasn't her word as she explains in a letter (opposite), and as she also stressed at the town council meeting. It was ours - mine.

The headline was an attempt to paraphrase the story which is what headlines have to do. It was used based on our dictionary definition - "living without God".

The story made page one on the merits of the strength and news value of the vicar's comments.

It is interesting that no one has challenged what the Vicar said.The story wasn't inaccurate.

It was inferred at the meeting that the Keighley News has a problem with Denholme.

That is not the case at all. Our cuttings files quite clearly show the coverage given to Denholme - the positives far outweighing the negatives. Our 'praise file' also contains notes from people in Denholme.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.