A former regional journalist who started his own company specialising in producing travel guides has sold his stake in the business for more than £1m.

Colin Cameron, who used to work for the Hartlepool Mail before going on to work as a sports writer on various national newspapers, started Kingfisher Media in 2007

The company publishes more than 70 visitor guides to cities and regions around the UK and Ireland, and employs 25 staff.

Now Colin, left, has sold his majority stake in the business for an undisclosed seven-figure sum to fellow director Ian Heads.

Colin, who sold his previous publishing business to Bob Geldof’s Ten Alps plc in 2006, said: “Ian and I have worked together growing two businesses for more than 15 years now, and I couldn’t be leaving the business in better hands.

“Kingfisher Media has developed an excellent reputation for publishing excellence in our sector, and I look forward to watching the company go from strength to strength under Ian’s leadership, and with the assistance of our top-class staff.”

Ian added: “I am delighted to be taking the business to the next level by further growing our superb national portfolio of visitor guides and in the new year a brand new, fully mobile-optimized website to complement the guides and to allow us to compete in the digital world.”

Kingfisher’s editorial director is another former regional journalist, Angela Upex, who joined the company earlier this year after more than 20 years at Newcastle’s Chronicle and Journal newspapers.