Five journalists are to take either early retirement or redundancy from four Johnston Press-owned South East regionals.

Ken McEwan leaves his position as sports editor of the Eastbourne Herald & Gazette after thirty years.

Both John Dowling, deputy editor, and Russ Perkins, subeditor, leave the Bexhill Observer.

Andrew Bennett, associate editor of the Rye & Battle Observer titles, leaves his position.

Philip Elms, deputy editor of Hastings & St. Leonards Observer and group production editor of the seven Observer Series titles, also took the decision to leave.

Johnston Press has recently centralised subbing operations in Horsham after merging its Sussex Newspapers and TR Beckett divisions.

[lnk|http://www.featuresexec.com/publications/info_features.php?pubid=9359&|_self|Eastboune Gazette]
[lnk|http://www.featuresexec.com/publications/info_features.php?pubid=10571&|_self|Bexhill Observer]
[lnk|http://www.featuresexec.com/publications/info_features.php?pubid=10271|_self|Hastings Observer]