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Canary Islands comeback for axed Trinity Mirror editor

A regional daily editor who left his job earlier this year after being suspended over his use of Twitter has landed a new role – on the Canary Islands.

Darren Parkin, who was editor of the Trinity Mirror-owned Coventry Telegraph from 2009 until July, is to take charge of glossy magazine Canarias Brillante.

It marks a return to the islands for 38-year-old Darren who was editor of the Lanzarote Gazette for two years earlier in his career.

He left the Telegraph after having previously been suspended on full pay after staff raised concerns about his use of Twitter. Birmingham Post editor Alun Thorne was named as his replacement earlier this week.

Darren told HTFP: “Whilst I regret deeply not being given the opportunity to enact the initiatives and plans I had for the Coventry Telegraph, I am delighted that some of my ideas will be put quickly into place in the Canary Islands – a part of the world I know well and have the greatest affection for.

“This is a rare opportunity and I count myself very lucky to have gone from what I once thought was my dream job to a what is, essentially, a dream come true.

“Sometimes in life you have to be in the darkest places to see the brightest lights – and that’s what’s happened to me.

“I would like to wish nearly all my former colleagues at the Coventry Telegraph all the very best in their endeavours – they’re a class act and they deserve a huge amount of respect.”

Canarias Brillante, which is based in Lanzarote but circulates throughout all seven Canary Islands, is owned by Canary Island Publications, who also publish the Gazette.

Originally from Yorkshire, Darren was once the country’s youngest newspaper editor when he took the helm at the Wolverhampton News aged 24.