A journalist who began his career on the Barnsley Chronicle 23 years ago has returned to the paper as its new editor.

Andrew Harrod, pictured, succeeds Robert Cockroft, who bowed out last month after 17 years in the Chronicle editor’s chair.

It is Andrew’s third stint with the Chronicle having first joined as a trainee district reporter in 1988.

In that role he helped launch the paper’s Hoyland edition and also had spells as the reporter for the Dearne as well as crime correspondent.

After ten years at the Chronicle, Andrew left to become news editor at the Grantham Journal in Lincolnshire, but returned to Barnsley the following year as head of news.

He then left again to take on the role of of group editor and director of content at the Script Media Group, a Barnsley-based publisher of specialist business-to-business magazines.

Said 41-year-old Andrew: “Returning to the Chronicle as editor has always been an ambition for me.

“It is undeniably one of the best weekly newspapers in the country.”