A chief reporter is to leave a daily newspaper’s staff and take up a roving political editor-at-large post with the title.

Martin Shipton has served as chief reporter with the Western Mail since 2002, but will leave the role next month.

His new roving brief will see him contribute several times a week to the Cardiff-based Mail, and will focus particularly on political investigation and analysis.

The move comes as Mail owner Reach plc seeks to cut more than 300 editorial and circulation roles as part of a UK-wide restructure.

Paul Rowland, audience and content director for Reach subsidiary Media Wales, said: “I’m delighted that Martin will be continuing to contribute to the Western Mail in his new role.

“His political journalism has been a cornerstone of the Welsh media for many years, and will be more valuable than ever with next year’s hugely significant Senedd elections on the horizon.

“From a personal perspective, I’m very pleased to have worked closely with Martin on these exciting new plans.

“We’ve enjoyed a close relationship since I sat next to him on my first day at the Western Mail 15 years ago, and I look forward to that continuing into the future.”

Martin, pictured, added: “Throughout Reach’s current redundancy consultation exercise, which is coming to an end, I have argued strongly that the company needs to protect its newspapers.

“I am extremely grateful to Paul Rowland, who heads Media Wales, and to Catrin Pascoe, the editor of the Western Mail, for offering me the opportunity to contribute to the Western Mail in a new way.

“Although I shall be leaving the staff of Media Wales, I look forward with enthusiasm to undertaking my new role as political editor-at-large at an extremely interesting time for Welsh politics.”