Staff at Herts & Essex Newspapers have said farewell to the company's head office premises after almost 150 years.

The last editions of the group's titles have rolled off the presses at Fore Street, and more than 100 staff are now settling in to a new 140,000 sq ft two-storey media production centre at the former Addis brush and housewares factory in Ware Road, Hertford.

Parent company Iliffe News and Media bought the distinctive 1950s building as the new base for the Mercury, Observer and Star series.

The move signals the end of publisher Herts & Essex Newspapers' 147-year association with its historic Fore Street premises.

Managing director Gary Matthews said he was delighted that the company was finally moving after 18 months of planning.

He said: "As I said last year when we announced our intention to move, our Fore Street offices have served us beautifully since Victorian days, but the needs of a modern business mean that they can no longer meet our requirements.

"We published our newspapers from Fore Street for nearly 150 years and I hope that our new Ware Road premises will provide similar longevity."

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