Croydon Advertiser editor Ian Carter has been made editor-in-chief at East Surrey and Sussex Newspapers.

He will oversee ten titles including the Surrey Mirror Series, the Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser and the Crawley News.

Ian, (33), will retain responsibility for the Croydon titles, including the flagship Advertiser, the Post series and the monthly Business News.

The restructure follows the departure of Surrey Mirror Series editor Diane Flint, who will be carrying out voluntary work overseas before embarking on a full-time English and Art History degree at the University of Sussex.

The move brings to an end her four-decade association with Trinity Mirror-owned ESSN, where she started her career as a reporter on the Horley News.

She has been chief reporter on the Surrey Mirror, content editor on the Crawley News and series production editor, punctuated by spells on The Argus in Brighton and at Lloyd’s List.

She was appointed editor-in-chief of the Surrey Mirror Series at the end of 2000.

Her decision to embark on full-time study was prompted by the sudden death of her husband Peter in May 2002, after which she vowed to set herself new challenges.

Ian Carter, who joined ESSN from the BBC in December 2002, was previously an assistant editor at The Argus, Brighton.

He said: “Everybody at ESSN will miss Diane greatly, and she will be a hard act to follow.

“We have got some outstanding talent in the company, and I am looking forward to working more closely with those on the Surrey titles.”