The purchase by Johnston Press of Belfast newspaper The News Letter has been completed following clearance by the Irish Competition Authority and the Irish Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

The newspaper is one of 12 published under the umbrella of Local Press Limited, which have been bought by Johnston in a deal worth £65m.

Other titles included in the deal are the Belfast News, Farming Life, Derry Journal, Sunday Journal, Derry on Monday, Donegal Democrat, Donegal People’s Press, Donegal on Sunday, Letterkenny Listener, Foyle News and City News.

All had previously been owned by Trinity Mirror before being bought by venture capital group 3i last year.

Johnston Press says the purchase is “an attractive and complementary addition” to the Irish titles it bought from Scottish Radio Holdings via EMAP earlier this year.