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Newspapers and website shut down after founder’s sudden death

Martin ReganTwo local newspapers and a county-wide website have ceased publication after the sudden death of the journalist-turned-entrepreneur who founded them.

Martin Regan, left, founded regional website Cheshire Today in 2013 and followed up with the launch of fortnightly print titles Macclesfield Today and Wilmslow Today.

At the time of the launch of Macclesfield Today in September 2013, Martin vowed that the title would be “a paper for clever people” and that there would be “no cats up f****** trees” in it.

Martin, who leaves behind a wife and four children, died unexpectedly in hospital on 4 April, the last day on which the Cheshire Today website was updated.  He was 54.

The last editions of Macclesfield Today and Wilmslow Today were published on 23 March.

A family member confirmed to HTFP that both the website and the newspaper titles had now closed.

Manchester-born Martin trained as a journalist in Sheffield before freelancing at a number of newspapers, including the Financial Times.

In 1991 he founded his own company, Excel Publishing whose titles included EN magazine and Builder & Engineer magazine, but he sold his stake to co-founder Pat Rafter in 2013 order to concentrate on his new newspaper launches.

Martin also co-owned a gallery in Hyde, Cheshire, which specialises in paintings by modern British artists.

Fellow gallery director Susan Eyres said: “Martin was a unique character with a profound love of art and will be very much missed.”