ARCHANT, the independent media group which publishes The Evening Star, is to acquire 12 weekly free and paid-for newspapers in London and Essex.Archant is paying £52 million for the 12 titles, from Independent News & Media PLC, whose total weekly circulation is just over 316,000.

ARCHANT, the independent media group which publishes The Evening Star, is to acquire 12 weekly free and paid-for newspapers in London and Essex.

Archant is paying £52 million for the 12 titles, from Independent News & Media PLC, whose total weekly circulation is just over 316,000.

Papers include the Islington Gazette, Hornsey Journal paid-for titles and the Herald free series, in North London.

In East London they are the two East London Advertiser and Hackney Gazette paid-for titles and the three free Express newspapers covering Stratford, Stoke Newington, Shoreditch and their surrounding areas.

While in Essex there is the Barking and Dagenham Post paid-for series and three free newspapers covering the Barking, Illford, Romford and their surrounding areas.

John Fry, chief executive of Archant, commented: "Archant is acquiring a strong portfolio of local newspapers that all play an important role in their local communities.

"This will strengthen our position as the UK's leading independently-owned community media publisher.

"Opportunities to acquire regional newspaper portfolios of quality and scale are few and far between.

"We therefore consider this acquisition to be of significant strategic importance given the geographic proximity to our existing areas of publication and the enhancement it gives to our coverage in and around North and East London," Mr Fry added.