The editor of The Argus in Brighton has quit his post.

Simon Bradshaw had been in the job for six years and was editor-in-chief of Newsquest Sussex.

Managing director Martyn Willis said in a memo to staff: “I would like to thank Simon for his hard work, dedication and professionalism during the six years he has held this position and would like to wish him every success in the future.”

Deputy editor Pat Lewis is taking on the role of acting editor of The Argus until a replacement for Simon is appointed.

Falling sales have dogged the newspaper recently. Simon, (45), and his team studied demographic research and underlying reasons for the Argus dropping sales from a midweek figure of almost 54,000 in 1997 to an ABC of 42,500 in January this year.

The paper was relaunched in January after a year-long examination of the paper and its readers. There were new features sections and columnists for every day of the week.

But the redesign, marketing, extra pages and improved editorial turned in an mid-year ABC of more than 1,000 fewer copies. There had also been a restyle in 2001.

The other side of the coin during Simon’s tenure saw The Argus named Daily Newspaper of the Year in the annual Newsquest editorial awards in April, when it was praised for the all-round variety of its editorial package, “from punchy news pages, through engaging features and an excellent What’s On service to a well-rounded sports section”.

The judges continued: “The Argus is strong on human interest and tackles serious issues in an accessible way. It has personaility, verve and humour, provided by an array of ‘laugh-out-loud’ columnists. A thoroughly deserving winner.

It was also named Evening Newspaper of the Year at the Press Gazette-backed Regional Press Awards 2003.

Simon (pictured) became editor-in-chief of the then Evening Argus and Leader series in mid-1998.

He trained at Richmond College, Sheffield, before joining the Coventry Evening Telegraph in 1978.

He then worked on the Wolverhampton Express & Star and the Bradford Telegraph & Argus where he was deputy news editor and then features editor. He went on to be news editor and assistant editor of the Edinburgh Evening News, then deputy editor of the Newcastle Evening Chronicle. He moved to Brighton from the Daily Record, Glasgow, where he was executive editor.

Do you have a story about the regional press? Ring 0116 227 3122/3121, or
e-mail [email protected]