The tradition of mocking-up a front page to honour departing members of staff was given a fresh twist by staff at a West Country weekly.

Philip Welch stepped down on Friday after 16 years at the helm of the Mid Somerset News and Media Group, which includes the Wells Journal, Shepton Mallet Journal, Central Somerset Gazette, Cheddar Valley Gazette and Somerset Standard.

Before he left he was presented with a very special edition in the form of a spoof front page made out of cake.

The tasty treat, pictured below, was the work of editorial assistant Sarah Lunn and appropriately renamed one of his newspapers  the ‘Welch Journal.’

Philip, who has worked in newspapers for 43 years,  is staying on as a consultant editor of the group, working two days a week.

His role as editor of the five weekly titles has gone to Bede MacGowan, formerly editor of the Llanelli Star.

Said Philip:  “The cake is too artistic to eat. I will keep it forever like Miss Haversham in Great Expectations.

“Standing down is an emotional rollercoaster for me but I am leaving the papers in the safe hands of new editor Bede MacGowan with the Mid Somerset Series selling more papers now than they did when I started here in 1997.”

Philip is pictured proof-reading the cake below.