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December 10, 2015updated 11 Dec 2015 12:14am

Gary Lawrence takes charge of Newsquest Oxfordshire and Wilts – long-serving deputy editors promoted

By Dominic Ponsford

Newsquest has a new group editor for its titles in Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.

Swindon Advertiser editor Gary Lawrence has been promoted to the new role following the departure of Oxford Mail editor Simon O’Neill in November after 18 years with the company.

Long-serving deputy editors Sara Taylor (in Oxford) and Pauline Leighton (in Swindon) have been made managing editors overseeing day-to-day editorial operations at their respective centres,

Newsquest’s Oxfordshire titles include the daily Oxford Mail and weekly titles: the Abingdon Herald, Bicester Advertiser, Wallingford Herald, Witney Gazette, Banbury Cake, Didcot Herald and Wantage Herald.

Wiltshire titles include the Swindon Advertiser and weeklies, The Gazette and Herald and Wiltshire Times.

The reshuffle means O'Neill's job has not been replaced and comes as Newsquest continues to cut editorial costs and sack journalists across the group.

Many sub-editors have been made redundant as much newspaper production has been centralised at Newport in Wales.

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The company also appears to have made most of its staff photographers redundant as it encourages reporters to instead take photographs on their phones.

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