21/04/2008

A former news editor of the Daily Record and Edinburgh Evening News has abruptly left the editorship of the Cambridge Evening News.

Murray Morse cleared his desk on Friday in a move described by the company as a decision ‘to move on’.

It is understood that he felt he had taken the paper as far as he could.

An insider told Hold The Front Page website that staff were shocked and upset but there was no official comment from management.

Managing director, Graham Ayres, is expected to release a statement this morning.

The paper has won several awards under Murray's tenure, including Newspaper of the Year and Community Campaign of the Year at the 2006 East of England Media Awards 2006. Only last week, it took Scoop of the Year at the Newspaper Society Awards.

A range of editorial initiatives were put in place, including the introduction of ‘Sunrise’ editions to capture a new audience.

Like most regional dailies, circulation has been falling - around 2000 to 25,720 in the past year, which is down 7.6 per cent.

Murray told Hold The Front Page, on Friday lunchtime, that he was still working at the paper and was surprised to be fielding a call.

He joined the paper as editor in November four years ago from his previous role as deputy editor of The Chronicle, Newcastle.

He has also had a short spell on the Aberdeen-based Press and Journal newsdesk.

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