One of the country’s last broadsheet weeklies has switched to tabloid printing after 135 years.

The Richmond and Twickenham Times and sister title, the Hounslow and Brentford Times, have “moved with the times” to the new, smaller format.

Editor Scott Barr, (44), said that his phone had been ringing off the hook with readers and businesses praising the first new-look edition.

“It gives the reader more news pages and sport,” he told holdthefrontpage.

“It’s a more compact edition. One reader told us he doesn’t need his table top to read the paper anymore!

“We’re moving with the times and giving people what they want. We are the last broadsheet in London.”

The process of change at the Times series started in August last year.

As editor, Scott was tasked with redesigning the look of the paper and put together a project team to gather ideas.

In addition, everyone from trainee reporters up to senior management were asked to throw their ideas in.

Scott added: “A major editorial challenge was the necessity to stick to strict guidelines on copy length – considering that a story making a full column in the broadsheet could only be given half that space in the tabloid.

“Some of us had already had experience of writing tight to get it right but the others have had to adapt quickly to the new rules.

“Paramount in the planning stages was the necessity to retain our relationship with our loyal readers and ensure every aspect of the ‘old’ papers was not only retained, but enhanced, in the new.”

The 80-page full colour newspaper includes a weekend TV guide, a 12-page food supplement and entertainment review section RT2.