Kim Chapman, editor-in-chief at North Surrey and London Newspapers, is leaving the company.

Kim, (49), a former editorial director of the Reading Evening Post, said: “My biggest regret is leaving the brilliant editorial team we have built here in the past two-and-a-half years.

“A business is only as good as the people it employs and I was lucky to have had such great support.

“They have worked hard – and smart – to improve the paid-for and free titles and they can be proud of doing an excellent job.”

Kim joined the Trinity Mirror Southern operation as a consultant on a six-month mission to halt the decline in sales and revive the fortunes of the newspapers, which cover an area from Westminster to Woking. She joined the staff in February 2003 to continue the task.

The publications include the Fulham Chronicle and Hounslow Chronicle series and the five-edition Surrey Herald & News, as well as the market-leading Informer frees.

The Herald & News has been redesigned and, through improved local coverage and community involvement, its sales decline halted. January to June 2004 it was just three per cent down (2.9 per cent up at the newsagents) and July to December 2004 it came in at the same figure as the previous year (3.9 per cent up at the newsagents).

The Informer series has been re-designed to create a cohesive series of titles across North Surrey and West London, and the Kingston and Richmond editions successfully re-launched.

“The Chronicle titles are holding their own in a tough market,” said Kim, who pioneered the ‘sight and sound’ newspaper and radio advertising package when she launched the quality free Basingstoke Observer in 2000 and, as managing director, ran the newspaper and 107.6 Kestrel fm together. She set up and designed the first Metro, in London.

Her move will see her return to independent project-based work.