A weekly newspaper office in Lancashire is under threat of closure with staff facing possible relocation 30 miles away.

Newsquest management was due to finish a consultation with staff at the Lancaster and Morecambe Citizen today but has decided to extend it until next Wednesday.

Editor Phil Fleming told HoldtheFrontPage: “The office is in consultation to close but there have been no decisions as yet.

“The consultation has been extended by another week because there are issues which have not yet been clarified.

“If the office closes the production team will switch to Blackburn.

“Another option is that the one reporter would be mobile with a laptop – again that is part of the consultation.”

There would no redundancies if the office closed and advertising staff would also be relocated to elsewhere within Newsquest.

In a separate development, two senior Newsquest executives have reportedly been made redundant.

Newsquest Bolton managing director Eric Henshaw and Newsquest Merseyside publisher Derek King have both left the company.

It is thought Newsquest Blackburn MD Jan Lever will take over control of Mr Henshaw’s papers which include The Bolton News.

No-one from Newsquest was available for comment.

Comments

ponsoby smythe (12/11/2008 11:45:24)
Is there a place to put a broom so that the ‘one’ journalist can keep the streets clean at the same time?

Bye bye (12/11/2008 13:00:19)
Another case of newspaper proprietors having no regard for the readers and advertisers.
Rather than cutting away at services why not try to improve the product and make more money?

Lancastrian (19/11/2008 15:10:27)
has this consultation finished yet? What was the result?

Lancastrian (19/11/2008 15:12:26)
has this consultation finished yet? What was the result?