Staff of Tindle Newspapers will be celebrating Christmas with a £200 bonus this year – thanks to meeting their chairman’s challenge of reaching a total of 200 titles and radio stations by the end of the year.

The target was been reached as a result of titles launched or purchased in the last few weeks. The challenge was issued at a company management conference in June.

Chairman Sir Ray Tindle said: “I thought I was fairly safe when I said we would have to hit 200 by Christmas to make the £200 bonus for the whole 650 staff.

“But I congratulate managing director Brian Doel and his colleagues and I am delighted that we have made this magnificent total.”

The increase from around 130 titles and stations included the launch of some monthly community newspapers, some weekly newspapers in areas already served by group titles and by acquiring established newspapers around the country.

Group MD Brian Doel said: “The whole firm is delighted, if exhausted. Some of the purchases are not yet complete so cannot be named as yet but we will pass the 200 target before Christmas.”

Sir Ray added: “Brian has been part of the Tindle Group since the 1970s but the major part of the launching has been achieved since his appointment as group managing director 16 months ago.

“He and his colleagues, Wendy Craig, Mike Roberts, Bernard Mew and Rosemary Prior, brought this family newspaper business to the current height of 200 titles and stations. I am so grateful to them and all the staff.”