The editor of four weekly newspapers is leaving to take a regional daily run by the same company.

Samantha Harman has been appointed editor of the Oxford Mail, and will also have responsibility for weekly titles the Oxford Times and the Herald series.

Samantha has been group editor for Newsquest Berkshire and Buckinghamshire since February last year, where she is responsible for the Bracknell News, Reading Chronicle, Bucks Free Press and Slough Observer.

She will take on her new role on 11 June.

Said Samantha: “While I’m going to miss all the great people I’ve worked with at Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, it’s a real honour to become editor at Oxford and I’m looking forward to meeting the team and getting started.”

Samantha’s appointment comes after the departure of interim editor Sara Taylor in December.

Sara had taken responsibility for the Mail following the departure of Gary Lawrence in August last year.

Of Samantha’s appointment, Newsquest editorial director Toby Granville said: “With her string of awards and huge success growing her online audience and stopping the rot with the sales figures, Sam’s proven to be an extremely talented editor.

“I’m sure she’s going to achieve great things at Oxford.”