It’s with a mixture of pride and sadness that editors of all local papers watch the fledgling reporters they have appointed and trained fly the nest for bigger and better things.

The Evening Leader in north Wales is no exception – and in recent years editor Reg Herbert has seen a succession of young reporters step onwards and upwards to jobs in television, national newspapers and national websites.

It’s a tribute to the training they receive in the regions – and the natural ability they possess – that the cycle continues.

But Mr Herbert admits he was surprised by the career moves of a “quiet, shy” local girl from Mold who he took on as a trainee.

Emma Jones, now 25, has just been appointed deputy editor of The Sun’s Bizarre page.

“She was very quiet when she joined us, but always had a great interest in the arts and looked after our arts page,” he said.

As part of her job, she was sent to cover a local eisteddfod at which violinist Nigel Kennedy was appearing.

The two got talking, and it led to Emma breaking her training contract and leaving the paper to work as a nanny for the violinist’s children, said Mr Herbert.

After seven months with Mr Kennedy, Emma joined the Sunday Mirror and stayed for a year before joining the Mail On Sunday in April this year.

She landed a recent scoop on Liam Gallagher’s marriage problems after meeting him in a London bar.

Dominic Mohan, editor of Bizarre, said “Emma has made a big impact in a short time. She was born to work at The Sun.”

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