The journalism team at Leicester's De Montfort University is set to expand with a new journalism degree doubling its student numbers.

De Montfort was already a key journalism education and training provider when it launched the new degree in October.

Its reputation was won by its successful NCTJ-accredited Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism, which has sent trainee reporters to newsrooms all across the country over the last decade or so.

The new journalism degree has had such a successful first year that the university is now recruiting two more journalism lecturers to join its team.

The postgraduate diploma is led by award-winning ex-newspaper and magazine journalist Ali Haynes, with the practical journalism taught by ex-Emap publisher and trainer and former Harborough Mail editor John Dilley.

The BA in Journalism is led by former Stamford Mercury and Harborough Mail editor Tor Clark, who is now looking to take on people to teach both practical and theoretical journalism to his 140 students.

Tor said: "The first year of our new degree has proved to be a big success, with our students responding really enthusiastically to our practical journalism sessions, which really emphasise hands-on work and going out and finding news stories. They loved it."

As he develops the course, Tor also plans to bring in a range of guest speakers from within the industry.

He added: "The journalism team here at DMU are still very active in the industry and we are very much looking forward to welcoming two new colleagues aboard, who can help us develop the university's reputation for journalism education even further."