Ian Park is to retire as chairman of Northcliffe Newspapers after eight years in the post.

He will be succeeded by Lord Rothermere, chairman of Daily Mail and General Trust, Northcliffe's parent company, next month.

Ian is to continue his association with DMGT as a main board director, a post he has held since 1994.

He said: "I count myself lucky to have had eight years of continued involvement with Northcliffe after my retirement as managing director in 1995.

"I will be 68 this May and it is time to stand down as chairman.

"I am delighted the group's chairman, Lord Rothermere, himself a former managing director of our Tunbridge Wells group of newspapers, is to follow me as chairman of Northcliffe. It means our special corporate culture, particularly in editorial matters, is in safe hands."

Lord Rothermere said: "Ian Park has had an illustrious career and has been an inspirational influence to all of us in the industry who have had the honour to know him. We at DMGT are grateful that we will continue to benefit from his extremely valuable input to the Board."

Lord Rothermere has been chairman of the Daily Mail and General Trust since 1998.

He was managing director of Courier Newspapers, the Kent division of Northcliffe Newspapers Group Ltd, from 1995-7.

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