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May 8, 2007updated 17 May 2007 11:30am

Norwich Evening News editor David Bourn resigns

By Press Gazette

The editor of the Norwich Evening News David Bourn has resigned two weeks after he was arrested on suspicion of assault.

As originally reported in Press Gazette, Bourn was arrested and released without charge on Easter Saturday 21 April, after a "disturbance" took place near his newspaper's offices at 6.55am.

A woman was also arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.

Since the incident, Bourn has been out of the office.

He finally returned to the office today and resigned. Deputy editor Tim Williams will take over as acting editor until further notice.

The company released a statement saying Bourn had left the paper for "personal reasons".

Archant Norfolk managing director Barry Dennis said: "During David's time at the helm, the Evening News has successfully organised numerous local campaigns. One of the most recent ones was to help defeat a plan to build a rubbish incinerator in Norwich.

"Last year the Evening News was voted the Eastern Region's Newspaper of the Year. Its sister sports website – pinkun.com – has won numerous national accolades.

"I would like to thank David for all the effort he has put into the Evening News over the past six years and wish him every success for the future."

Bourn was appointed editor of the Evening News in August 2000, coming from the Newcastle Evening Chronicle where he was deputy editor.

In 1985, Bourn joined the Evening Chronicle from the Hexham Courier where he was district chief reporter, during that time he also ran his own pub.

The Norwich Evening News was named newspaper of the year at the 2006 EDF Energy East of England Awards following a wholesale redesign led by Bourn, with the inclusion of more positive news and short summary versions of all page leads. However the redesign did little to stem the sales decline at the paper.

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