The Bury Times will welcome its first female editor when Carla Flynn takes over on March 2.

She replaces Ian Savage, who was appointed editor-in-chief of The Bolton News, the Bury Times Group and the Leigh Journal last month.

Carla, (39), will take charge of the Bury Times, Radcliffe Times, the Prestwich and Whitefield Guide and the Bury Journal both in print and online.

She started her career on the Runcorn and Widnes World as a trainee reporter almost 20 years ago and became editor of the Runcorn and Widnes World in 2002.

In 2005 she became deputy editor of the Warrington Guardian before joining the newly-acquired Community News titles the following year as group editor.

Most recently she has spent 14 months as digital development editor for Cheshire/Merseyside, working with the editors and their teams to develop the region’s 12 websites and drive online audience.