Associated Newspapers, the group that runs the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, has announced a pay freeze for all its staff.

The year-long freeze is back-dated to 1 March.

In a further cost-cutting move, sub-editors at the Daily Mail will now work nine-day fortnights, rather than four-day weeks.

Northcliffe, the regional arm of Associated’s parent company Daily Mail and General Trust, yesterday announced it plans to cut 1,000 jobs this year.

Advertising revenues at Northcliffe were down 37 per cent year on year in the first three months of 2009.