The assistant editor of a Scottish weekly has stepped down, more than four decades after he started at the paper.

Duncan McCallum had his last day at the Falkirk Herald, which he first joined in 1973, on Thursday.

He also spent spells at the Cumbernauld News and Kilsyth Chronicle during his career.

Duncan currently serves as chair and secretary of the NUJ Forth Valley branch, and it is understood he intends to devote some of his free time to its running.

Other recent job moves in the regional press include:

• The Western Morning News on Sunday has appointed Liz Parks as acting editor. She was previously senior content editor at the title.
• The Basingstoke Gazette has appointed Chris Gregory as news editor. Chris was previously a news reporter at the title.
• South Wales Argus news editor Maria Williams has left the paper and is now a freelance journalist and copywriter.
• Salisbury Journal head of news Miranda Robertson is leaving the paper next week. Chief reporter Joe Riddle will now be overseeing the paper’s news operation.