Seven Trinity Mirror weekly newspapers in the Midlands are to close or be sold off, the company announced today.

The move affects both paid-for and free titles in Northamptonshire and Derbyshire, part of Trinity Mirror Midlands.

A company statement said the decision was taken "as a result of difficult trading conditions".

This proposal will affect four free titles in Northampton: Northampton Herald & Post; Wellingborough, Rushden, Kettering and Corby Herald & Post; Market Harborough Herald & Post; Brackley & Towcester Herald & Post.

Also affected are the free Long Eaton Trader and paid-for Long Eaton Advertiser and Nu News.

The move is the latest decision by Trinity Mirror Midlands which announced in April it was closing eight titles in Peterborough and Derby.

At the time, the company said there were "no plans to close any other publications".

Regional managing director Steve Brown said: "Trinity Mirror Midlands aims to have two core publishing centres – one in Birmingham, one in Coventry – backed up by a network of stand-alone weekly newspapers capable of contributing profitably to regional performance.

"The titles in Northampton and Long Eaton unfortunately do not meet this criteria and, regrettably, we have taken the decision to close them or to seek a sale."

A Trinity Mirror spokesman said that staff had now entered a consultation process but could not confirm how many workers were affected by the proposals.

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