Newsquest is to launch a new weekly newspaper for Oldham within a month of the sudden closure of the Oldham Chronicle after its owners went into administration.

The Oldham Times will publish its first edition on 21 September, priced at 80p, and provide news, sport and comment as well as a Weekend guide and TV listings.

The Oldham Chronicle’s closure on 31 August was said to have been a “bolt from the blue” for staff at the 163-year-old title. The majority of its 49 staff were made redundant.