Work is being carried out at the Ipswich Evening Star to prepare for the installation of 45 ton of new equipment, which will double the paper's colour page printing capability.

The press is expected to be completed by September in a move that will benefit the Star, the West Suffolk Mercury, the Lowestoft Journal and 24 other local newspapers.

Star editor Nigel Pickover said: "We're delighted to see the new extension in our building. There's now tangible evidence that the new era for the Star is just around the corner.

"We've always been a colourful newspaper, this will enable us to present more of photographers' efforts in their full glory."

Made in France, the printing tower has been supplied by Goss Graphics of Preston that also supplied and installed the original press in 1982.

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