You may have noticed that some of our court stories can only be accessed with a subscription.

Well this is why – and why now is a great time to take out a digital subscription.

We have a dedicated court reporter, Tim, who attends Southampton’s Crown and Magistrates courts almost every day.

At most cases he covers, he is the only reporter there.

Whether it’s covering every day of a multi-week murder trial or sitting through a dozen cases in the Magistrates’ Court, no two days are ever the same.

But one thing is for certain – the stories that are covered by Tim in the courts are some of the most important for a local newspaper to cover.

Just last week, Tim was at Hampshire Constabulary’s headquarters in Eastleigh where former police officer, and the former chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, was accused of gross misconduct.

A panel found he had made a sexual comment about the widow of a police officer, killed in the line of duty, just months after his death.

Sometimes the judicial system puts up barriers, preventing the public from fully understanding who is responsible for heinous crimes.

That was the case earlier this year where Tim spoke up in court and argued in favour of removing reporting restrictions so we could identify a 16-year-old boy who left a man dying on the floor after plunging a samurai sword into his back.

The judge sided with Tim, bringing to the public’s attention a story that wouldn’t have been fully uncovered had he not been there to argue in favour of it.

Away from the courtroom, he spoke to a domestic abuse survivor who said she felt let down by the court system, after the abuser was released from custody early.

Criminal cases have repercussions and leave victims in their wake, and shouldn't go unnoticed.

This is one reason to subscribe: you can expect to read about cases you won't see anywhere else.

Another reason is that by doing so, you're supporting local journalists who do their very best each day to keep you informed about what's happening in Southampton.

By subscribing, we can ensure we can keep sending a reporter to these important court hearings, and making sure a light is shone on these important public proceedings, and that justice is seen to be done.

We're here to make sure you are kept informed about things you have a right to know, and we bring you the sort of stories and coverage that social media pages and police press releases simply cannot.

Today, we have launched a new offer for those who want to subscribe, meaning there is no better time to join us.

You can sign up for £5 for 5 months, or save more than 40 per cent on an annual subscription during the limited-time promotion.

And you get much more than access to our stories. A digital subscription grants you access to an ad-lite version of the website, a digital edition of the paper, monthly savings on big brands and puzzles you can play online.

For further details on digital subscriptions and how to subscribe, please follow the link here.