Former Newbury Weekly News chairman John Robertson has been awarded one of the industry’s top honours.

He remains a board member and has been presented with the Newspaper Society’s President’s Prize to recognise his outstanding contribution to the local media industry.

Next month, he is due to stand down from the Newspaper Society board and hand over chairmanship of the Society’s Independent Publishers Forum to Geraldine Allinson, chair of KM Group.

John, who is also a non-executive director at the Maidenhead Advertiser, said: “Coming towards the end of my career in regional newspapers and, having campaigned so long and so hard for the IPF, I feel that to be recognised in such a way is a great honour.”

He has been IPF chairman for a total of almost ten years, taking up the role when the forum was started in 1997.

In 2003, he stepped down from the role to take on the year-long NS presidency, but returned to chair the IPF after completing his tenure as president.

He was appointed managing director of the Newbury Weekly News (Printers) Ltd in 1985, going on to become group managing director of its parent company Blacket Turner & Co in 1997.

In May 2002, he stepped down as chairman and group managing director to become deputy chairman.

John is set to step down from his current role as non-executive director at Newbury at the end of this month but will continue at the Maidenhead Advertiser.

His award was presented at the Newspaper Society AGM at Claridges. He is the 11th recipient of the prize which is awarded at the discretion of the serving NS president.