The Ham & High will be reaching newsagents a day earlier - on Thursdays - from next week in a move designed to increase sales.

The change has been in the detailed planning stages for three months and is a direct response to what the title sees as an overloaded weekend market.

Editor Geoff Martin said competing titles were available earlier in the week and another significant factor was that many local newspaper outlets had been taken over by multi-nationals - which were less inclined to give prime space to local papers.

A trial run to match new editorial deadlines went well, he said.

Geoff added: "We deliberately put ourselves under added pressure and the response of the entire team was really excellent. As much as anything it was a confidence-building exercise.

"While we will undoubtedly miss out on some stories because of timing, we have an award-winning website which is very popular with readers and can deliver important breaking news. All in all, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages."

Print schedules have been extensively revamped at parent company Archant’s busy print headquarters in Norfolk, and advertising deadlines have already been brought forward.

Regional managing director, Enzo Testa, said a large number of readers in the Ham & High’s core circulation areas were active retired or semi-retired people who 'headed for the hills' before the Ham & High was on the stands.

He said: "This change of publication day reflects our readers’ demand to get their local news earlier.

"We feel sure that this change will increase circulation as readers will be able to purchase their copy of the Ham & High before they 'head for the hills' on Thursday evenings or Friday mornings."

Publication of the mainly free Wood & Vale and Marylebone editions, covering St John's Wood, Maida Vale and Marylebone, is unaltered.