Leicester Mercury managing director Tony Hill has announced plans to retire after 40 years in newspapers.

Since joining the Mercury in 1997 he has overseen a relaunch of the title and a huge development of its website, as well seeing the paper celebrate its 125th birthday and being named UK Regional Newspaper of the Year.

More recently he has also brought about and delivered the current £12m refurbishment programme for the Leicester Mercury building and presses.

Before coming to Leicester, Tony was managing director of the Evening Chronicle in Newcastle and before that of the Evening Gazette, Teesside.

He was made an OBE by the Queen in 1998 for services to the North East of England.

He said: "I have been privileged throughout my working life to work under, alongside and with some of the real giants of the industry.

"It has been a marvelously fulfilling journey.

"In Leicester over the last nine years, I have enjoyed working with a great team of people who have adopted and adapted to much change in our industry.

"I will miss greatly the camaraderie, humour and great talent of the people in the business."

He will retire at the end of the month and an announcement of his successor will be made in due course.