The first of a series of new titles being launched in the North of England by two former Reach plc executives have gone live.

As reported by HTFP last month, online magazine The Lead is planning to launch ten weekly email newsletters with a focus on politics and culture.

The first two newsletters, covering Blackpool and Bolton, have now gone live, with Teesside and Stoke-on-Trent due to follow shortly.

The project is being led by Ed Walker, former audience and content director for Reach, with the help of Luke Beardsworth, former editor of Lancs Live.

Ed has taken on the role of lead editor (North) while Luke is senior editor (North).  Both left Reach left year amid a wave of senior departures from the business.

The pair have already made a notable signing in the shape of Kevin Gopal, former editor of Big Issue North, who will be writing for The Bolton Lead.

The initial four newsletters will be complemented by special edition pop-up print newspapers, with the aim of distrubuting 100,000 newspapers in the first half of the year.

A further six new titles are planned at locations still be disclosed.

Ed told HTFP: “The response to the launch of The Blackpool Lead and The Bolton Lead has been fantastic. We’ve already featured some in-depth pieces on the topics we want to explore and what our readers tell us they want us to focus on.

“The open rates and engagement on these newsletters is heartening and shows the appetite for receiving this style of journalism, and our digest formats, on a weekly basis.

“We’re also pleased to be working with existing media in these markets to showcase, signpost and provide content and have made a positive start on this. We’re seeking partnerships with local media and we’re ensuring that our readers see the best of existing local media in our newsletters.

“Thanks to everyone who has been involved in getting the two titles launched and we are looking forward to launching in Stoke-on-Trent and Teesside in the coming weeks and then packaging up the journalism we’re producing into a free print edition as well.”