A 168-year-old newspaper has been absorbed by its sister title following a similar move online.

National World has confirmed the Morpeth Herald has now become a change edition of the Northumberland Gazette.

The move follows National World forerunner JPIMedia’s decision last year to bring the Herald, along with fellow Northumberland titles the Berwick Advertiser, News Guardian and News Post Leader under the Gazette’s banner online.

The company says its other Northumberland papers are not affected by this latest move.

The Herald, first published in 1854, had an average paid-for circulation of 525, according to its ABC certificate for 2021.

By comparison, the Gazette’s circulation for the same period stood at 3,087.

The Gazette was traditionally based in Alnwick, 19 miles from Morpeth, although the office of both titles is now listed as National World’s Sunderland centre.

A National World spokeswoman told HTFP: “The Morpeth Herald has become an edition of the Northumberland Gazette, with a selection of change pages featuring local content each week.

“Other Northumberland titles are not affected.”