County Durham weekly the Teesdale Mercury has appointed a new editor and deputy editor.

Editor Matthew Mills joins the Mercury from the Evening Post in Bristol where he was an overnight chief sub. Matthew was previously features editor and assistant editor at the Bath Chronicle and page designer at the Mirror.

He replaces George Nicholson who has stepped down after three years with the Barnard Castle paper.

The new deputy editor, Adrian Braddy, has moved to Teesdale from the Galloway Gazette in South West Scotland where he was chief reporter. Adrian has also worked previously as council and politics reporter for the Hartlepool Mail.

The Mercury had undergone a redesign under its new editor although all the traditional elements of the 150-year-old newspaper have been retained.

Matthew said: "This is my first editorship and it's been seat of-the-pants stuff since I started last month.

"Of the five-strong editorial team which used to bring out the Mercury only James and Val remain, but with a new team, of course, comes the chance to evolve, and that is what we plan to do."

Adrian said: "It's great to come back to the area where I spent much of my childhood, and join a newspaper that is going places."

Do you have a story about the regional press? Ring 0116 227 3122/3121, or
e-mail pastill@nep.co.uk