The future of two weekly newspapers in south-east England is in doubt after the Kent Messenger Group revealed plans to close the titles.

Staff at the free Bromley Extra and Bexley Extra are in a 30-day consultation process with management over the possible future of the titles which will end early next month.

Nine editorial staff produce the two papers from their office in Foots Cray.

They are supported by a further two sub-editors, two photographers and a sports reporter in other offices.

Managing director Chris Bisco said: “The proposal is that the two titles should be closed – they are both loss-making.

“There are just over 30 people potentially affected who have to be consulted with.

“The only net losses – if everyone decided to move to another job – are two sub-editors as there are vacancies in all other functions.

“There’s plenty of scope for the majority of people to move elsewhere in the company.”

The two titles, launched in 2004, are part of the 17 group-wide Extra titles and have a combined audited distribution of around 167,000.

At the recent Kent Journalist of the Year Awards the Bromley and Bexley Extra was named news service of the year.

Its journalists Danny Boyle and Dominique Taylor were the winner of and highly commended in the young journalist category.