The Cambridge Evening News is gaining a new editor as part of a shake up which sees Staffordshire Newspapers Ltd’s MD moving back to his old patch.

Paul Brackley will take over the editorship of the Evening News which has been vacant since Murray Morse left the paper in April.

He is currently editor of the Hertfordshire Mercury Series and will be replaced by Staffordshire Newspapers current MD Gary Matthews.

Paul, who was also deputy editor of the Hertfordshire Mercury Series, will report directly to the group editor-in-chief Colin Grant, who was also a previous Evening News editor.

Colin will continue to have overall responsibility for the editorial policy of the Evening News, together with the company’s other titles and website.

Current assistant editor John Deex will be promoted to deputy editor.

John, who joined Cambridge in 2001, has been filling in as day-to-day editor of the Evening News and will work closely with Paul and Colin.

Gary Matthews has previously worked for Herts and Essex for 18 years in a variety of roles including group editor and managing director.

He joined Staffordshire Newspapers, in March 2006 after previous MD Jim Black retired after 18 years in the job.

In his role, Gary oversaw the running of titles including the Burton Mail, Ashbourne News Telegraph and Staffordshire Newsletter.

Prior to this, he worked for the Express and Star, in Wolverhampton, before becoming launch editor of the company’s weekly free Chronicle series.

Before becoming a journalist he was a semi-professional footballer, once playing at Wembley Stadium in the FA Vase Final for Willenhall Town.

In other structural changes to parent company Iliffe News and Media, the daily centres of Cambridge Newspapers and Staffordshire Newspapers will become a single operating division within Iliffe.

They will be managed by a new divisional managing director, Graham Ayres, who is currently the MD of Cambridge Newspapers and former finance director of Iliffe News and Media.

The move mirrors the recent divisionalisation of the weekly publishing centres of Herts and Essex Newspapers and LSN Media.

The company said this would enable the business to operate in a more integrated and effective manner.

Iliffe News and Media chief executive David Fordham said: “These changes are a positive move for the Iliffe publishing division and I believe they will enable the individual operating companies to continue to make further progress at a time when the media environment demands innovation in the way we work and in the products we produce.

“I am sure that you will join me in wishing everyone success in their new roles which will become effective from November 3.”