Ian Savage has been appointed the new editor-in-chief of The Bolton News.

Ian, (41), who is Bolton born and bred, takes over on January 2.

He has been group editor (weeklies) and editor of The Bury Times group since 2005 and was previously deputy editor at The Bolton Evening News for nine years.

Ian, (right), started his career as a trainee reporter on the Blackburn Citizen before moving to The Bury Times as a trainee in 1985. After qualifying as a senior reporter he joined the Bury and Bolton Journals in 1987.

Two years later he moved up to the then Bolton Evening News before leaving for a 12 month stint at the Manchester Evening News.

He came back to Bolton as deputy news editor, then assistant editor and was promoted to deputy editor.

Ian, who is married with two children and lives in Bromley Cross, said: “I am absolutely delighted to be taking up this new role as editor of my home town newspaper.

“I have lived in Bolton all my life and to now edit the paper I grew up with is a dream come true.”

His predecessor, Steve Hughes, left the paper in October to become managing director at The York Press, another Newsquest title.