Johnston Press chief executive Ashley Highfield has called on the BBC to close down "under-performing local websites" and work with regional publishers.

Highfield suggested the licence fee-funded corporation should share its content with local newspapers and their websites in order to better serve the public and help sustain the regional press.

Speaking at the Newspaper Society's annual general meeting today, Highfield, who used to be technology director at the corporation, said the BBC could become a “local media distribution partner” and use local papers to distribute their content to the public.