A chance to hear why former BBC political and industrial correspondent Nicholas Jones – a Barnet resident for the last 50 years – is so concerned about the difficulty people have in finding out about local news.

He is guest speaker at a Barnet Museum lecture on Monday 13 February and will outline why he fears there is worrying democratic deficit.

This lack of accountability for the local community has been heightened since the closure of the Barnet Press, our much-revered weekly newspaper, and the absence of in-depth reporting about Barnet affairs.

Jones, who is a member of the Barnet Society and the Barnet Residents Association, has done his bit to try to fill the void by writing about Barnet people and events for the Barnet Society website.

He will look back on the history of the Barnet Press and explain why without local journalists – despite the best efforts of community groups – there is little or no effective monitoring of the services provided by Barnet Council, Transport for London, Barnet Hospital, local schools, and a host of other public services.