Regional publisher Local World is restructuring its senior editorial team at its Surrey and Sussex titles after an award-winning weekly editor decided to bow out.

Glenn Ebrey, left, is to leave the Croydon Advertiser at the end of this month after nine years with the company and nearly five as editor.

The Advertiser will now be oversee by Andy Worden, a previous editor of the paper, who will combine the role with that of editing the Crawley News and East Grinstead Observer.

Andy has been appointed as a senior editor, East Surrey and Sussex News and Media, along with Deanne Blaylock, editor of the Surrey Mirror and Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser.

The changes are part of what Local World is calling a “wider re-organisation” of its editorial teams in the area although it has declined to comment further on this.

Glenn joined the company as chief reporter at the Dorking Advertiser and has been editor at Croydon since October 2010, winning a series of awards and establishing the successful South edition of the paper.

He said: “I have loved my time at the Advertiser and it has been a genuine honour and privilege to edit a title with such a prestigious history and place in its community.

“I am leaving with a heavy heart but with a young family to look after and my priorities changing, I feel this is the right time to move in a different direction with my career.”

Andy said: “We are very fortunate to have a talented, passionate and dedicated team who enable us to put together what I believe are some of the best local papers and websites in the country.

“Croydon is one of the best patches around and I am excited about the prospect of continuing the great work that Glenn and his team have been doing over the past few years.”

Deanne added: “I am delighted to be offered this new opportunity. It’s an exciting time in local newspapers as we evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of our readers.

“I look forward to taking our products forward in this era with our fantastic team.”

Richard Karn,  managing director of LW’s South East division which includes ESSN Media said: “We are really sorry to lose Glenn who has led the editorial team through a period of substantial change and challenge with great skill and good humour.

“Both Andy and Dee fully deserve this chance of career development and it is always motivating to be able to reward capable colleagues with a new challenge. At the same time the moves will create opportunities throughout the department.”

The changes will create three vacancies for content editors which are also expected to be filled internally.

Andy and Deanne will take up their new roles on 8 June.