An editor is calling time on his 30-year career in journalism after bosses decided to “mothball” two of the local websites he runs.

Derek Davis has announced he is stepping down at the end of the week as Nub News’ regional editor for Suffolk.

The role involved managing the Nub News sites covering Shotley, Hadleigh and Felixtowe, but Derek revealed that the latter two platforms are being “mothballed.”

Derek, pictured, was offered a part-time role editing the Shotley site which is to continue, but opted instead to retire.

In a message to readers published yesterday, he wrote:  “Today marks the beginning of my last week as a full time journalist.

“Due to Nub News consolidating its business model, my role as Regional Editor (Suffolk) was going to be cut with both the Hadleigh and Felixstowe Nub News websites being mothballed.

“Although the opportunity to carry on running Shotley peninsula Nub News on a part-time basis was offered, I have decided to accept the package on offer and call time on my 30-year career in journalism.

“I’m immensely proud and pleased with what we have achieved since Nub News began in Suffolk in February 2020, and Hadleigh beginning in the September.

“In the four years since, nearly 240,000 different people have read Hadleigh Nub News providing more than 1.8million engagements. We are the go-to online news platform for Hadleigh, number one in search engines according to Google Analytics.

“We use social media to spread the word and know more people come to us for news about the Hadleigh area than any other news organisation, including the EADT, Suffolk News, Ipswich Star, and the BBC.

“Our readership penetration for Hadleigh reaches more than 100% month by month, and we have been superbly supported by our wide range of columnists and contributors, sadly not enough sponsors and advertisers backed us.

“I would like to thank a whole range of people, from sponsors Chapman Stickels, my army of contacts, columnists, contributors, a multitude of press officers, Steve Holder and John Chenery at the football club, but most of all – you – the readers for making Hadleigh Nub News the relative success it has been.”

Derek also serves as a local councillor on Babergh District Council and plans to continue in that role “for the foreseeable future.

He added: “Who knows what the future holds but as a wise man told me recently: “You may leave journalism – but journalism never leaves you…”

Nub News owner Karl Hancock denied that Nub News was “consolidating its business model.”

He told HTFP: “Hadleigh and Felixstowe just didn’t work numbers wise and couldn’t be justified. Shotley does work and that’s why we offered Derek a part-time role.”