A national journalist has been recruited to serve as launch editor of a new regional title amid an expansion by its publisher.

Black Ox has announced the appointment of Mail Online communities editor Laura King as regional business editor responsible for Dorset Biz News and its new sister title Hampshire Biz News.

Black Ox acquired Dorset Biz News from Andrew Diprose, the website’s founder and editor, earlier this year and announced plans to expand the ‘Biz News’ brand across the UK.

Andrew will retire on 30 June after a media career spanning 44 years.

Laura, pictured, managed a team of more than 20 people at Mail Online and has also worked at The Sun and in magazines, covering subjects as varied as canal boats to automotive logistics and engineering.

She will now oversee the launch of further county-wide Biz News titles over the coming months.

Laura, pictured, said: “I have heard such great things about the ambitions, scope and culture of Black Ox and its publications.

“I’m really looking forward to meeting everyone I get to work closely with, both within the company and as hardworking business owners in the community.”

Black Ox, which is based in Camberley, publishes The Business Magazine and also owns Gloucester-based NK Media, publishers of Business & Innovation Magazine.

Black Ox managing editor Stephen Emerson said: “We are delighted to welcome someone of Laura’s calibre to the team.

“We have big ambitions for our network of Biz News sites and believe that Laura’s experience will be a driving force in growing what is an exciting project in local business journalism.”