Newsquest’s Lancashire dailies are to change their production schedules to become morning newspapers.

The move follows the parent company’s decision to scrap three of the York Evening Press’s four editions in favour of one early morning edition and rename the newspaper The Press.

From Monday June 26 the Bolton Evening News will be printed overnight with an off-stone time of 12.30am, and will be delivered to newsagents by 6.30am to maximise additional casual sales.

A staff consultation period has begun because of changes in work patterns and a new shift system that will have to be brought in. The Evening News already has just one edition.

The change is being made in a bid to prevent circulation decline, although the Evening News was one of the success stories of 2004, increasing sales.

But since then sales have dropped seven per cent year-on-year to around 35,000 copies, and bosses are looking at ways to slow that decline.

A company memo from managing director Eric Henshaw said: “We need to do something now to halt that decline and meet the new challenges that face us in an increasingly fragmented market place.

“For these reasons the Company has decided to change the print and distribution times of the Bolton Evening News.”

Similar plans are in line for the Blackburn-based Lancashire Evening Telegraph, although it is unclear whether the two Lancashire dailies will both change their name. The company has registered a website domain name boltondailynews.co.uk, among others.

The Evening Telegraph also sells around 35,000. It recently closed its three district offices in a move to cut costs and last year dropped its Accrington and final editions.

Edition changes have also been made to the Oxford Mail and Swindon Advertiser, which are cutting their second editions.