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Six editorial posts go at Evening News group

Six editorial posts have been cut at Cambridge Newspapers following the company’s announcement that it was conducting a review of the business because of a downturn in revenues.

One senior reporter post and one sports sub/writer post have been made redundant, and a vacant assistant editor post will not be filled.

Three non-frontline staff – a librarian, a copy inputter and a picture scanner – have also been made redundant and a part-time sub-editor’s post is under negotiation.

The company publishes the 33,000-circulation, five-edition Cambridge Evening News, the Cambridge Town Crier, Cambridge Weekly News, and other Weekly News editions for Ely, Haverhill, Huntingdon, St Ives, Newmarket, Royston, Saffron Walden, St Neots, and Cambourne.

Managing director Andy Gough was unavailable for comment.

A company statement last month said: “We have worked hard in recent months to curb discretionary spending across the company in an effort to mitigate the downturn in revenues that has been plaguing the regional press nationwide.

“Unfortunately, this has not been sufficient to deal with the severity of the downturn and it is with enormous regret that we are being forced to follow the path of so many others in reducing the size of our workforce.”

Following the company’s announcement NUJ members there began a ballot for industrial action, claiming they had not been consulted, but this was suspended to make way for talks with management.