The Free Press has decided for the time being to no longer allow commenting on online articles at lfpress.com until a more accountable way for our readers to interact with us and each other is found.

The voice of the reader has always been a key part of The Free Press, but what was meant to be a forum for reader debate about issues in London too often has reverted to anonymous and personal attack, albeit by a minority, that was not serving the best interests of most of our readers.

Like a growing number of news organizations, we are also moving away from anonymous commenting because there are other options that encourage respectful, civil debate.

We will continue to post our stories, columns and editorials on social media, including Twitter and Facebook, and you will be able to comment on them there as you always have.

You can also contact our reporters, columnists and editors directly on their social media accounts or via email, as you always have.

And we encourage readers to submit comments to our Letters to the Editor section, which you can do online or send by e-mail to lfp.letters@sunmedia.ca.

We regret having to make this decision and are working on a solution that will best serve you and The Free Press.

Thank you for your understanding.

Joe Ruscitti

Editor