A daily editor has been handed a wider role overseeing editorial strategy for all the sister papers in his group.

James Higgins is now group editor of the Carlisle-based CN Group with overall responsibility for two daily titles, four weeklies and their companion websites.

James will continue to be day-to-day editor of the Mail, which recently changed its name from the North West Evening Mail, and business magazine incumbria.

However three other editors in the group, Chris Story (News & Star and Cumberland News), Deanne Shallcross (Times & Star, Whitehaven News) and Colin Tapping (Hexham Courant), will now report to him.

As part of his new role, James will be looking at where skills and processes can be shared across the group and liaising with its business and lifestyle teams to ensure content is being used effectively across all platforms.

Other recent job moves in the UK regional media include the following:

* Regional publisher Newsquest has appointed Anna Slater to become head of news across a series of 12 weekly titles north of London.

They are: The St Albans & Harpenden Review, Watford Observer, The Watford Free, Harrow Times, Epping Forest Guardian, Epping Forest Independent, Wanstead & Woodford Guardian, Waltham Forest and Chingford Guardian, Barnet & Potters Bar Times, Tottenham & Wood Green Independent and Borehamwood & Elstree Times.

Anna, who was previously news editor for the Tindle-owned Enfield Independent and Tottenham & Wood Green Independent, will be assisted by two chief reporters working under her – Matt Lennon covering Watford and North London and Tom Barnes covering East London.

* John Evely has moved from his role as sports editor at the Rutland and Stamford Mercury to become a sports reporter at the Bristol Post.  Meanwhile Post reporter Lewis Pennock has left the newspaper.

* Kieran Andrews has joined The Sunday Post as Politics and Investigations Reporter, moving from role as political editor at sister title The Courier.  He replaces Rachel Wearmouth who has joined the Huffington Post.

* Sports writer Ian Morgan is leaving his role at the Worcester News on Friday to become PR and social media manager for Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools.  Ian was also the rugby union reporter covering Worcester Warriors.

* Simon Toft has moved from the role of content editor at The News, Portsmouth, to become commercial editor.

* James Brinsford has been appointed as a senior journalist at Somerset Live, the online channel for the Somerset Guardian, Western Gazette, Shepton Mallet Journal, Frome Standard and Wells Journal. He will focus on music, entertainment, TV and food writing as well as general news.

* Sam Beamish has joined the Dorset Echo as a reporter.

* Kat Sandeman has moved from his role as a senior reporter at the Burton Mail to join sister title the Nottingham Post, where he will be covering politics and general news.

* Hannah Chapman, previously assistant news editor of Newsquest North East, has been promoted to acting deputy editor, working across both The Northern Echo and North Yorkshire Advertiser.

* David Lewis has left the Edinburgh Evening News where he was news editor to join STV News as digital news editor.

* Charlotte Talbot, previously chief reporter of the Surrey Advertiser, has left the paper.

* Sarah Moola as been named editor of regional magazine Salisbury Life, having previously worked as deputy editor at Bath Life.

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