A local campaign has saved the relocation of the Black Country Bugle, stopping plans to move it to Tamworth and keeping the paper's production in Dudley.

Last month the Bugle’s parent company Trinity Mirror announced plans to move the paper from Dudley to Tamworth at the same time as cutting the number of reporters.

Dudley MP, Ian Austin launched a petition which was signed by over a thousand local people in just three days, tabled a motion in Parliament and lobbied Trinity Mirror bosses, urging them to keep the paper in the Black Country and save the journalists' jobs

Following meetings between management and NUJ representative Chris Morley the plans have now been shelved. As a result, the paper will stay at its current home in Dudley Archives and the three reporters will keep their jobs, although it will still lose its dedicated editor.

The MP has praised local people for rallying around the paper and says that he hopes the campaign will encourage more people to contribute to it. Mr Austin said:

“It's really good news the Bugle will be staying in Dudley where it belongs thanks to the work of Chris Morley at the NUJ and local people who backed our campaign. With over 1,000 local residents adding their names to our petition in a matter of days it’s clear that the Bugle is a much loved local institution.

“The paper does a brilliant job highlighting all that’s great about the Black Country, and I hope that with the support of local people it will continue to do so for many years to come.”