A website aimed at the media and marketing community in the North-West has suspended publication amid a legal dispute.

How.Do.co.uk has been running for the past five years and organises the region’s longest-running set of media awards.

However a merger with another local news website, Manchester Confidential, last November has led to difficulties.

How-Do founder Nick Jaspan has since tried to extricate the company from the merger, but Manchester Confidential boss Mark Garner now claims he legally owns the site and has accused Mr Jaspan of “passing himself off” as the owner.

A statement published on the website today said:  “With no end in sight to this dispute we have decided to suspend publication and related activities until a resolution is reached.”

“We are proud of what How-Do has achieved over the five years since we launched and we look forward to returning as soon as we’re able to.”

The full statement by Nick Jaspan can be read here while an earlier statement issued on 21 April by Mark Garner can be viewed here.