A regional daily has appointed its third editor in as many months with the promotion of its assistant news editor to the role.

Arron Hendy, pictured left, steps up to the editor’s chair at Brighton daily The Argus following the departures of Lucy Pearce last month and her predecessor Mike Gilson in December.

The 40-year-old takes over the top job after three years with the Newsquest-owned paper, having first joined The Argus as assistant news editor in January 2014.

In the summer of that year, he made his own headlines as one of two Argus journalists who were hospitalised after carrying out a taste test for what is believed to be the hottest burger in the country.

Arron’s appointment is accompanied by a newsdesk shake-up which sees Ben James take up Arron’s old position, while former Eastbourne Herald and Eastbourne Gazette editor Peter Lindsey will serve as an assistant news editor and business reporter.

Peter also edited the Eastbourne Independent for its 11-month lifespan, before the venture was closed by Newsquest last summer.

In a message to readers, Arron said: “I’ve always felt hugely honoured to work for such a fantastic newspaper and being at the helm is a great privilege.

“It is such an exciting time having celebrated our 135th birthday two years ago and now being back in the city centre at our new offices in Manchester Street.

“Our hugely talented news, sports and production departments are putting the pages together here in Brighton with local knowledge.

“Essentially this is your newspaper and it must be all about you, our readers, with more of you featuring on our pages.”

The move follows Lucy’s decision to move to the role of communications and engagement manager with financial services giant Legal and General, weeks after taking on the editorship.

Previously the paper’s head of content, she had stepped up to the editor role when Mike left the paper after two years in charge.

Arron began his career at the Dorset Echo, where he worked between February 2008 and November 2011.

While a trainee at the Echo, Arron won the News Journalism prize at the 2009 NCTJ Awards for Excellence in Journalism.

His victory followed an exclusive story about Prince Andrew criticising the Ministry of Defence, which made headlines across the national media.

From November 2011 to April 2012 Arron served as a senior reporter before moving to the Bournemouth Echo in the same role.