A Derby Evening Telegraph campaign has won through to influence Government and save hundreds of jobs for the city.

Plans were revealed to move 400 tax office staff out of Derby and into Nottingham.

Two offices were set to close and a consultation exercise has been launched to gauge reaction to the move.

After the Evening Telegraph, councillors, MPs, businesses and unions stepped in, the combined strength contributed to a change of heart.

The high-profile Telegraph Hands Off Our Taxmen campaign has resulted in one of the centres remaining open, allowing 200 staff to stay put. In addition, 80 employees from tax offices in nearby Burton and Alfreton, which were also earmarked for closure, will move to Derby by spring next year instead of their original Nottingham destination.

And the minister involved at high level has conceded it was the newspaper's campaign that influenced the decision.

Treasury Minister Jane Kennedy, who made the decision, admitted the campaign, which lobbied to keep the jobs in the city, played a part in her decision to keep Northgate House open.

She said: "When the local community responds in a way that the community served by the Derby Evening Telegraph did, then it behoves us to listen to what's being said."

"The purpose of having the consultation is to receive the opinions of local staff and others with an interest."

The Telegraph hailed the decision as a triumph for the voices of reason.

Editor Steve Hall wrote: "Faced with a concerted campaign of opposition, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs has now amended its plans and decided to retain one of the two Derby offices which were facing closure.

"As she concedes, her decision reflects the fact that when a community unites and puts together a cogent argument, the opportunity is still there to exercise a real influence on thinking at the top level.

"That has been proved in Derby before - a concerted campaign spearheaded by the Evening Telegraph managed to rescue the UK train-building industry when it seemed the Government was quite happy to let it slither into oblivion."

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