A former Northcliffe group editor who quit his role earlier this year has joined a rival group as head of its regional magazine division.

Andy Cooper, pictured, left Northcliffe after 17 years in April, having been regional editorial director of its South West weeklies and editor-in-chief of Cornwall and Devon Media for seven years.

Now he has joined rival publisher Archant as group editor of its South West magazine titles, including Cornwall Life, Devon Life and Somerset Life.

The move was announced to staff in a memo by Archant Lifestyle managing director Tim Thurston.

Said Tim:  “Andy has extensive editorial and management experience in regional media, having previously been Editor-in-Chief of Cornwall and Devon Media Ltd for seven years and worked across the country in a number of roles.

“Andy’s appointment takes effect immediately and he will be based in the Totnes office on a full-time basis.”

The company has also announced the appointment of former TV journalist Deborah Collcutt as Group Editor South with effect from January.

Deborah will oversee the Dorset magazine, Hampshire Life, Sussex Life, Surrey Life, Compass and Berkshire and Buckinghamshire Life.

Andy first joined Northcliffe in 1995 as editor of the Brentwood Gazette, and edited the North Devon Journal on two separate occasions during his career.

He first moved to the Journal as editor in 1997 before becoming editor-in-chief of CDM which includes The Cornishman, the West Briton and the Cornish Guardian in 2005. He then returned to Barnstaple to edit the Journal in 2009, while retaining the role of editor-in-chief.