A south London weekly is now sporting a “brighter, more elegant look” after undergoing a makeover.

The front page of this week’s Croydon Advertiser features new layouts, higher story count and a more traditional looking masthead, with the white on blue upper and lower case dropped for a simple black all caps name.

It is the first major change to a title in East Surrey and Sussex News and Media, a division of Northcliffe Media, since new editor-in-chief Frank le Duc took over the role at Christmas.

Frank told HTFP: “We are aiming to give the paper a more upmarket look and feel with more stories and pictures each week and give better value for money to our readers.”

He said the Advertiser had been listening to feedback from readers about what they thought of the paper and had given it a brighter and more elegant look.

“It has been heartening to learn that you like much of what we do and we are responding to those things that you want us to do better,” he wrote in a launch message.

“We realise that you want us to be closer to the community, at the heart of all things local and celebrating more of your triumphs and success stories.”

Reporters have also started holding so-called ‘supermarket surgeries’ whereby they position themselves in places of high footfall such as shopping centres so the public can have a chat and pass on stories.

And on April 12 the editorial team is staging a Question Time-style debate with the borough’s leading politicians.

A Croydon Advertiser from earlier this month…..

…..and this week’s edition of the Advertiser