A local newspaper launched two years ago has closed due to its founder’s ill-health.

Director and publisher Maurice Kendrick has taken the decision not to publish any further editions of the Ramsey & Warboys Reporter, which has covered central Cambridgeshire since July 2015.

Maurice, a former Local World account executive, says he has made the announcement due to being “unable to further commit physically” to the Reporter.

Maurice had worked on the monthly paper with editor Adam Roberts, who has now started a job with the Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner, and designer Ken Sims.

Announcing the Reporter’s closure, Maurice said: “It is with great sadness I must inform you that I will not be publishing any further editions of the Ramsey & Warboys Reporter.

“This decision has been taken predominantly due to ill health, as I am unable to further commit myself physically to running the newspaper. This was a trying decision for me, but necessary in order to maintain my health.

“I put off a medical procedure two years ago as it would have necessitated me taking some considerable time out to recuperate, and I knew the Reporter would not have survived, being a fledgling business at the time. Just recently I have been advised to attend hospital and have failed on two occasions.”

The Reporter had been run as a not-for-profit community interest company and had a circulation of 7,000 copies per month.

Maurice previously worked in advertising sales and management for various regional publishers including Archant, Johnston Press, Newsquest, Iliffe Media, Observer Standard Newspapers, Thomson, Westminster Press and United Provincial Newspapers.

He added: “I have always strived to produce a better product for the area, with real news stories and effective advertising content, with the help of my editor Adam Roberts and childhood friend and brilliant designer Ken Sims.

“Our remit was to produce a newspaper with a 50/50 split. That is to say 50pc editorial, 50pc advertising as the larger regional papers worked on a 75pc advert to 25pc editorial ratio which I always thought was short changing the reader. That is why we kept to 32 and 40 pages, as producing anything bigger without the advertising revenue would not have been viable and we would have filled the Reporter with fillers and meaningless, irrelevant news copy.

“As well as my editor and designer I have to say a huge thank you to all the contributors who have regularly given us wonderful editorials from our pets and holiday pages to business and sports sections. They are too numerous to mention in this letter but you can see their names within the rubric of page two in each issue.

“My sincerest thanks go out to all of you for your loyal and continuous support shown to me over the past two years and three months. I cherish the friends I have made and will miss you all.”