TODAY we publish a small image of the cover of the latest edition of the Charlie Hebdo magazine, the first in the wake of the atrocious attacks which left several of its brave staff dead last week.

This is not a decision we have taken lightly or without a great deal of thought and discussion.

And its publication is not intended to cause gratuitous offence to any of our readers, particularly among the Muslim community, although we accept that it will be offensive to some people.

We are aware of the many and heartfelt sensitivities surrounding the publication of this magazine.

But we are printing the image on the basis of its news value.

The image we are using was taken in a setting, a newspaper distributor’s warehouse, which illustrates the story it accompanies – that this magazine is going to be on sale in a Newport newsagents.

The magazine has had a print run of five million across Europe and is being published in several languages.

It will be seen by many more people than that and images of it were widely distributed on social media yesterday after the first edition sold out in France.

We feel it would be disingenuous to report the fact that Charlie Hebdo is on sale in Newport without showing, as a small image, a cover which is the subject of worldwide debate.