Two senior editors within Trinity Mirror’s stable of regional titles are quitting their jobs to pursue separate business ventures.

South Wales Echo editor Tim Gordon and Wales on Sunday’s Simon Farrington will both leave the company in July.

Their departures were announced to staff in Cardiff yesterday morning and it is understood that both will be replaced.

The moves come ahead of the introduction of Trinity’s ‘Newsroom 3.1′ digital first restructuring plan which is being rolled out across its regional newsrooms over the course of this year.

Pastures new: Simon Farrington, left, and Tim Gordon

In an email to staff, Media Wales editor-in-chief Alan Edmunds said: “I am announcing this morning that South Wales Echo Editor Tim Gordon and Wales on Sunday Editor Simon Farrington are to leave Media Wales to pursue new separate business ventures.

“I would like to offer my wholehearted thanks to Tim and Simon for their tremendous hard work, skill and commitment to Media Wales over many years.

“I would also like to thank them both for their outstanding personal support over the past decade as we have successfully taken the newsroom forward to meet the changing demands of our audience.

“Tim and Simon will leave the business in July with our very best wishes and I will make a further announcement about their replacements in due course.”

Simon joined the South Wales Echo in 1993 as assistant editor and has remained in Cardiff ever since, save for a brief secondment to Aberdeen.

He said: “After 39 years in the media industry I felt the timing was right, while my brain still vaguely functions, to pursue other business interests.

“My thanks go to all those brilliant people I have worked with over many years, at too many newspapers and magazines to mention, for making me look competent in the  management roles I have had.

“It will be a wrench leaving behind an exciting fast-changing industry and the biggest thing I will miss will be the adrenalin-rush from big breaking news stories.”

Simon will be dividing his time between consultancy work and an existing family delicatessen business in Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan.

He added:  “I am also looking to utilise any accumulated business wisdom I have to help other businesses, in particular SMEs, to  grow and prosper. My fees will be very competitive!”

Simon Farrington started his career as a reporter with his hometown paper the Burton Mail in 1975.

He was a sports reporter and sports production journalist with the Derby Telegraph before becoming sports editor of the Hull Daily Mail where he went on to become deputy chief sub.

He set up a magazine and newspaper business for several years in East Yorkshire before returning to mainstream journalism again with Northcliffe in Hull.

As well as editing Wales on Sunday he has also been deputy editor of the Western Mail, group editor of the Celtic Weeklies, editor of magazines and specialist publications and business development editor for Media Wales.

Tim has spent 25 years in journalism and moved to the Echo editorship in 2010 having previously edited Wales on Sunday since 2002.

From 2008 he combined the WoS role with that of editor of Wales Online.

Said Tim:  “I’ve worked for over 25 years as a journalist, 12 of those as a newspaper editor, and it’s been the most fantastic ride.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to work in television, edit a big city daily, a fantastic Sunday tabloid  and WalesOnline. But it’s time for me to take all those experiences and channel them into a new venture.

“I can’t thank enough the people who have worked alongside me over the years. We’ve had some great laughs and some great times.

“I wish the incredible team at Media Wales all the best in the future.”