Northcliffe Newspapers has confirmed it is to close the Taunton Times.

Talks over the future of the paper had been going on with staff but the group says it can no longer run at a loss.

Its last issue will be published on Thursday.

Northcliffe managing director Michael Pelosi said: "The decision to close a title is never an easy one because of the impact it has on our employees and a local community.

"Despite its popularity, it has struggled to achieve a sustainable level of advertising revenues.

"It is currently operating at a loss with no prospects of moving into profit."

The Taunton Times was launched in 1998 to provide Somerset's county town with its own free newspaper.

It was distributed to 29,520 homes each week, with average pagination of 52.

The closure follows the sale of its sister title, the paid-for Wellington Weekly News, to Tindle Newspapers. Together they had formed Taunton Newspapers, part of Northcliffe's Western Newspapers.