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North West Evening Mail names its new editor

The editor of one the UK’s most northerly newspapers is taking up a new role.

Jonathan Lee, boss at the Shetland Times, is the new editor of the North West Evening Mail, based in Barrow-in-Furness.

He is due to leave north Scotland in March for what will be his first editorship of a daily paper.

Discontent at the Shetland Times had culminated in staff taking a vote of no confidence in Jonathan last month.

Jonathan, (40), told holdthefrontpage: “It’s an internal matter and there’s nothing I am going to say on that.

“I have been at The Shetland Times for two years and the opportunity came up at the North West Evening Mail.

“It’s where I’m from originally and I saw it as a good opportunity.

“I started as a reporter in Kendal and I still have family in the area.

“It’s the chance to go to an evening newspaper and that’s what I am looking forward to.

“It’s been a very enjoyable time and I have mixed emotions about leaving.

“It’s been a very positive experience but it’s the chance to edit an evening newspaper.”

Jonathan started life in the newspaper industry with the Westmorland Gazette in 1990 and has since worked for the Evening Express, in Aberdeen, and the Blackpool Evening Gazette.

During his time in Shetland the paper won two newspaper of the year awards.

The Times also took a campaign of the year prize for their coverage of the Sakchai Makow case, a popular Shetland resident originally from Thailand who was threatened with deportation but eventually allowed to stay.

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