Martin Buhagiar has been appointed editor of the Observer and Review Series in St Albans.

He has joined the Newsquest titles from Luton on Sunday, where he was news editor.

He succeeds Clare Bourke who is now editor for the Harrow Times, Ealing Times and Hillingdon & Uxbridge Times.

Martin, (30), will be responsible for the weekly paid-for St Albans Observer and the free weekly St Albans Review and Welwyn and Hatfield Review.

He told HoldtheFrontPage: "I have got a few plans for the Observer.

"My background in Luton is off-diary news exclusives and ideally we want to get this in at St Albans and shake up the opposition."

And in his first week the paper did just that - with a story about two lesbian police officers who were thrown out of a pub after customers complained they were kissing, which was later followed up by the national press.

Martin said: "We were happy with that and are hoping that more of our stories will be nabbed by the nationals - after we have gone to press!"

Martin was news editor at Luton Sunday for two years, and has previously worked for Bedfordshire on Sunday and Hertfordshire on Sunday.

He began his career in 1995 at South Bedfordshire news agency Fairleys.

Martin said: "I'm very excited by the prospect of working here and taking the paper forward."