The £50m takeover of JPIMedia daily the i has officially been approved by the government after a probe by watchdogs.

Culture secretary Oliver Dowden has approved the deal after examining reports by the Competition and Markets Authority and Ofcom.

The deal between the two parties was revealed in November, but the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said in January it was “minded” to intervene in the process.

According to the i, DMGT has “repeatedly asserted that i’s editorial independence and values would be protected, as with other titles owned by the same media group”.

Mr Dowden said: “I accept the CMA’s findings that whilst it is, or may be, the case that a relevant merger situation has been created, the merger does not give rise to a realistic prospect of a substantial lessening of competition in any market.”

Lord Rothermere, the chairman of DMGT, added: “I am delighted that, after thorough investigation, both the CMA and Ofcom have agreed that the acquisition of the i, by dmg media, does not result in a substantial lessening of competition in any market, nor a reduction in the plurality of views across newspaper groups in the UK.

“Editorial independence is an article of faith at dmg media and we are committed to maintaining both the independence and distinctive qualities of the i.

“I would like to take this opportunity of welcoming the extremely talented journalists and staff of the i to DMGT and to say how much we are looking forward to working with them in the years ahead.”