Evening Mail editor Steve Brauner said: "The new press will enable us to produce a better paper for all our customers.

"Readers are the life blood of the paper and our staff are looking forward to providing them with more colour and better printing quality, as well as a great read every day."

The Swedish Solna D400 press is sited in a new print plant at Furness Business Park in Barrow.

It can print 55,000 copies per hour of a 48-page tabloid paper with up to 32 pages in full colour and has been configured so it can grow to an eventual maximum of 64 pages tabloid, all in full colour.

It replaces a Goss Community press, sited in Emlyn Street, Barrow, which is more than 30 years old.

Furness Newspapers managing director Tony Raymond said: "This £5.5m investment by our parent company CN Group is an important statement of faith in the future of the Evening Mail and also in the future economic prosperity of Barrow, Ulverston, Millom and surrounding areas.

"It helps to secure the future not only of 150 jobs but also the area's only major employer in the media sector. We are looking forward to delivering an ever improving service to readers and advertising customers alike."

The diversity will also help the company become more competitive as a contract printer.

The project received a £177,345 grant from the Northwest Development Agency and a further Regional Selective Assistance grant.