Elaine Cole has been appointed editor of the News Group in Aldershot.

The 34-year-old has taken over the reins from James Taylor, who is now media and communications manager at a local hopsital.

The News Group includes paid-for broadsheets the Aldershot News and the Aldershot Mail, and the free tabloid Courier, and is part of the Guardian Media Group.

Elaine has worked for the group since 1997, starting as a trainee reporter on the Esher News and Mail.

She also worked for the Surrey Advertiser before being appointed editor of the Esher News and Mail in 2002.

During her time there she oversaw the launch of a new edition of the title, boosted its pagination and focused on grassroots reporting and campaigns, helping to increase its circulation.

Now she is hoping to recreate that success at her new family of newspapers.

She told HoldtheFrontPage: “The paper enjoyed a great relationship with its readers which was shown by the amazing postbag we received for such a small area.

“Now I have a well-established stable of three newspapers to look after which will present different challenges, but I’m looking forward to it – it’s quite exciting.

“Hopefully I will be able to help improve their readership and news content.

“I will also be building on the campaigning ethos which all newspapers should have – quite often newspapers are the last watchdog left for local communities.”