A weekly newspaper editor is leaving Britain for sunnier shores after nearly a decade with the paper.

Jean May, of the south-east London and north Kent weekly News Shopper series, will be flying off to the Cayman Islands early next year.

Jean has been at the News Shopper for almost 10 years, of which the last 16 months have been spent as editor.

But now she has made a “lifestyle choice” and taken a post as a journalist and designer with the Cayman Compass, based on the Cayman Islands.

“It’s a lifestyle choice rather than a career move,” she said.

“I’ve had a fantastic time and it’s been a fantastic place to work – I’m really sad to go.

“My partner is already there working in the security business. I went out on holiday last year and popped in to see the publisher of the local paper to have a chat.

“They were very pleased to talk to me and were looking to have a redesign in the new year.

“It will be a totally different lifestyle. The islands have about 60,000 people living there and this is a daily paper with a different sort of news.

“All I need now is my work permit.”

Jean has been with Newsquest for 16 years, during which time she has worked at the Northern Echo and Bradford Telegraph & Argus.

She is due to leave the News Shopper at the end of January before moving to the Cayman Islands in February.