Leicester Mercury

Keith Perch has left the Leicester Mercury after two and a half years at the helm


Keith Perch has become the latest regional editor to resign after stepping down as the editor of the Leicester Mercury with immediate effect yesterday.

Perch's resignation follows a review and management restructuring at owner Northcliffe Media, conducted by the new managing director Steve Auckland in March. The shake-up led to new publishers being appointed at the Leicester, Bristol, Nottingham and Hull centres.

John Meehan, editor of Northcliffe's Hull Daily Mail and the company's longest-serving daily newspaper editor, also resigned from the company in the wake of the restructure, and Jon Grubb, editor of the Lincolnshire Echo, left suddenly in July after five and a half years with the title.

Grubb's departure came shortly before the Echo was switched from a daily to a weekly title, along with several other Northcliffe dailies.

Perch said in a statement issued by Northcliffe: "The past two and a half years have seen unprecedented change in the regional press and, although I have enjoyed every minute of editing the Leicester Mercury, I think now is the right time for me to seek a fresh challenge.

"The team in Leicester is outstanding and I would like to thank them all for their loyalty, support and commitment to the paper.”

The newly-appointed publisher at the Leicester Mercury, David Simms, said: "Under Keith’s editorship the Mercury has been a vibrant and influential part of Leicester life.

“He has been a passionate ambassador for our business – he’s been a positive influence across the region, and proud of the newspapers he’s worked on."

Prior to joining the Mercury in 2009, Perch served as editor of the South Wales Echo and the Derby Telegraph, as well as editor and managing director of Northcliffe’s digital business and later the Digital Publishing division of Associated Northcliffe Digital.

Perch's departure from Northcliffe follows a number of other high-profile regional newspaper resignations, including: Paul Robertson, editorial director of the north east regional division of Trinity Mirror, who resigned after 22 years with the company; Sarah Jane Smith, editor of the Shropshire Star, who left after 10 years at the paper and 32 years with publisher the Midlands News Association, and Dave King, editor of the Swindon Advertiser.
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