A reporter whose grandfather edited the closure-hit newspaper he works for has shared his hope it will return in print one day.

Cambs Times journalist Dan Mason, who is the grandson of its former editor Bill Bradshaw, said he would like to see the title’s print edition return in the “not too distant future” after it went online only.

Writing on his personal blog, Dan, , said it was “understandable” that Newsquest, new owner of the paper’s publisher Archant, had made the decision to cease publication of the Times and its Wisbech Standard change edition.

They published in print for the last time in July along with fellow free papers the Diss Mercury, Thetford and Watton Times, West Suffolk Mercury and Felixstowe Extra after Newsquest decided they were “too far gone” to survive.

Daniel, pictured, wrote: “This long-standing title will continue to serve its local community and other parts of the county, too, in the hope that in the digital age, it will become a sustainable ship to sail.

“Sustainable not just from a corporate viewpoint, but for those who produce the content that you see online and in print, trying to do those before us proud.

“One day, I and perhaps many others hope that the Cambs Times will return in print in the not too distant future. But as long as the Cambs Times and Wisbech Standard, plus the Ely Standard and other local titles are still serving the readers it has longed to serve for decades past, local journalism in the Fens can remain intact.”

“The reasons made by Newsquest, the company taking over the Cambs Times’ publisher Archant, for its decision to stop printing the newspaper are understandable and reflect what local journalism is heading towards in future in order for it to survive.”

Paying tribute to his grandfather, Daniel added: “In the lead-up to becoming editor and as editor, he knew what local news meant to readers, why it was important to report that news and served the Fens the best he could.

“There was no website to publish onto in those days, so the impact of local journalism in print was perhaps far greater than today. And by doing so, my grandfather ensured the newspapers he served such as the Cambs Times became well-respected and a ‘go-to’ for local news in the Fens.”

Speaking to HTFP, Dan said: “I hope that as long as the Cambs Times continues to be a presence online, it will return to what many people have been associated with for decades.

“I hope that my late grandfather would understand why this decision, which is a tough pill to swallow, has been taken for a newspaper he cared about dearly.

“I cannot guarantee he would be best pleased with the situation. What I do hope is that he would be happy that the Cambs Times and Wisbech Standard still lives on today and, despite the changes to come, local journalism in the Cambridgeshire Fens remains alive.”

The Times has been published since 1872 and celebrated its 150th anniversary this summer.