Two former daily journalists who launched a new magazine on their old paper’s patch this month have signed two new writers.

Sarah Jane Smith, editor of the Shropshire Star for ten years until 2011, has set up Shrewsbury Today along with her former deputy at the Star, Jon Simcock.

Now the pair have been joined by two more former Star men, columnist Dave Burrows and movie critic Carl Jones.

Former assistant editor Carl will pen a weekly online film and DVD review for the magazine’s website, www.shrewsburytoday.co.uk, as well as regular column in the magazine itself.

Carl, who is also BBC Radio Shropshire’s film critic, has become Shropshire’s voice of the movies during two decades of reviewing the best and worst Hollywood has to offer.

Meanwhile Dave, the Star’s former national news editor, will transfer his popular Burrows About opinion column to the Shrewsbury Today website, with his weekly address on the state of the town appearing every Friday, as well as writing about Shrewsbury Town FC.

Shrewsbury Today editor Jon said: “Carl and Dave are not just the best writers in the county, they are the most respected. Both bring real wit, warmth and wisdom to their columns and we are delighted they have agreed to join us.

“The magazine has met with an absolutely fantastic response since its launch at the start of the month and these signings will help us build on that success.

“Our first edition met all our advertising targets and the launch could not have gone more smoothly. We have also successfully concluded a deal to supply the magazine to leading supermarkets, further strengthening its position in Shrewsbury.”

The 60-page magazine launched earlier this month with nearly 10,000 copies distributed throughout the town.