A new free weekly newspaper for the Warwickshire town of Rugby has been launched by Trinity Mirror.

The Rugby Times hit the streets for the first time this week, and will be distributed to 35,000 homes in Rugby and its surrounding villages.

The launch of the stand alone 72-page title was overseen by East of England series editor Richard Howarth, who said the paper would provide local news and be a champion of the community.

It is edited by Duncan Gibbons, who was previously the chief reporter of the Coventry Evening Telegraph’s Warwickshire edition.

The Rugby Times is the latest addition to Trinity Mirror’s portfolio in the Midlands, and follows the launch of the Kenilworth Times early in 2005 and the Leamington & Warwick Times last summer.

Weeklies’ editorial director Tony Lennox said: “The Rugby Times is a traditional local newspaper, concentrating on purely local news. It’s a formula that works.

“The successful launches of its sister titles in Kenilworth, Leamington and Warwick last year proved there is room in these busy markets for good, old-fashioned local papers.

“Duncan and his team are local people who know the patch very well, and that will be the key to our success in Rugby.”

Trinity Mirror now publishes 37 paid-for and free weekly titles in the Midlands, including the Loughborough Echo, Hinckley Times and Solihull News.