Former regional press journalist Jenna Weekes has joined Bournemouth-based Deep South Media as a PR account director for Dorset.

Her arrival marks the third public relations recruitment in just 19 months for the fast-growing media communications consultancy.

Jenna, (27), trained as a journalist with Trinity Mirror in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and worked as a reporter for the Bournemouth Daily Echo between 2001 and 2007, where she became chief reporter responsible for news in East and North Dorset.

She recently returned from six months travelling around the world and is looking forward to working with her father, former Daily Echo editor Gareth Weekes.

She said: “I’m excited to be joining the family business. With three journalists heading up Deep South’s PR team and a former newspaper editor at the helm, our knowledge of what constitutes a good news story is second to none.”

Andrew Diprose, who handled PR and staff communications for Newsquest and was formerly business editor of the Bournemouth Daily Echo, set up Deep South’s PR division in 2005.

Heading up the PR team’s expansion into Hampshire is former business editor of the Southern Daily Echo, Ron Wain.

The firm, which has boosted turnover by over 60 per cent in a year, now has 18 retained PR clients across the South Coast. These include Transdev Yellow Buses, Ellis Jones, Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water, Trant construction group and property management specialist Fasset.

Building for the future: Jenna with Andrew, Ron and Gareth