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The Angel Hotel in North Street, Midhurst has been destroyed following a fire at the historic site. Here, Editor In Chief Gary Shipton explains why a special edition of the local newspaper is being published to record the terrible event. You can read reports of the fire here: https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/400-year-old-sussex-hotel-destroyed-by-massive-fire-4066445

The local newspaper, the Midhurst and Petworth Observer, has been published once a week for more than 140 years – but today it took the unprecedented decision to produce a second edition on Friday March 17 to record the destruction by fire and its consequences of the historic Angel Hotel.

The paper has a duty to faithfully report news and in historic terms the damage to The Angel is significant.

Our website http://sussexworld.co.uk has been updating the public throughout about the fire, with words, photographs and video. You might think in a digital age that this would suffice in terms of informing people.

The front page of the Midhurst and Petworth Observer special edition to be published on Friday, March 17, 2023.

But I do believe that the public would also want to see these very sad events recorded in a permanent form in their trusted local newspaper which is why we have produced an additional issue of the Midhurst and Petworth Observer.

This is not about ‘selling more newspapers’ – the costs of producing this special edition are likely to be greater than the income we would receive from their sales, especially when this week’s normal paper has only just gone on sale. A local newspaper like the Observer does have a responsibility to stand side by side with the community it serves and I know residents would expect us to do so on this occasion.

Fortunately, no-one appears to been hurt in this fire thanks to the immense bravery of the emergency services. But in historic terms, the damage to this building is immense.

Midhurst is proud of its heritage and so are we. This is a special community that will always support each other. That is why we believe local people would expect us to play our part – to report faithfully on these events, to praise those who have made a difference, and to help lead the debate in ensuring this building is suitably restored in the future.

Here is what we know so far: https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/the-angel-inn-fire-heres-what-we-know-so-far-4066390

Photos: https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/pictures-more-than-30-people-evacuated-due-to-significant-sussex-hotel-fire-4066398

The Spread Eagle offers help: https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/angel-hotel-inferno-owners-of-midhursts-other-major-historic-hotel-offer-assistance-4067337

Angel Hotel fire: This is why the Midhurst and Petworth Observer is publishing a special edition of its newspaper on Friday March 17