66 jobs lost as three newspapers shut

The newspaper group that publishes the Birmingham Post and Mail is shedding 66 jobs and closing three of its free weekly titles.

Trinity Mirror Midlands said the Chase Post, the Stafford Post and the Sutton News would be published for the last time this week.

Resources will also be shared on a number of its other titles, following a review of the organisation.

The group said the closures of the Chase Post in Cannock, Stafford Post and 141-year-old Sutton News were part of an ongoing review.

Seven editorial jobs are going at the weekly titles, part of a total of 45 editorial jobs going in the West Midlands. Some specialist reporter roles will be merged within the group.

Under the proposals, the advertising department would also be merged into regional teams with 11 jobs to be cut.

The closure of the weekly newspapers is also expected to result in 10 advertising redundancies.

Trinity Mirror has entered into a period of consultation with all staff affected by the changes.

The Chase Post, which had a circulation of 48,716, has been published since 1979 and The Stafford Post, with a circulation of 30,804, has been going for around 25 years. Sister titles The Lichfield Post, and its sub-edition the Rugeley Post, closed in July 2009.

Trinity Mirror Midlands is creating a regional production hub involving content editors from its Birmingham and Coventry titles and a regional features unit is being introduced.

The restructure has been carried out by new Trinity Mirror Midlands managing director, Steve Anderson-Dixon.

It is the third round of editorial job cuts by the company in the last three years. In 2009 45 editorial jobs went with 65 the year before.

Mr Anderson-Dixon said: "This review of our organisational structure is vital if we are to ensure a future for our newspapers and websites in the Midlands.

"We all need to work more closely as a region and sharing key resources is a key theme in these proposals.

"These actions will result in a reduction in the number of roles at all levels, across a number of offices and departments."

Trinity Mirror Midlands, which has a portfolio of around 50 papers, made a £7million loss in 2009 but in the 2010 financial year this was turned around to a £3.2m operating profit.