THE editor of The Northern Echo, Peter Barron, is stepping down after 17 years in the post.

• Peter Barron: 'It’s time for a new editor of The Northern Echo – thank you for your support'

Mr Barron, 53, joined The Northern Echo as a reporter in 1984 after spending three years as a trainee with the Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph.

He rose through the ranks to become deputy editor of the Great Daily of the North before leaving to edit the Hartlepool Mail in 1997.

He returned to The Northern Echo as editor in January 1999 and has gone on to become the paper’s longest-serving editor.

In 2013, he was awarded the MBE for services to journalism and community life in the North-East and was presented with a lifetime of achievement award by the Society of Editors a year later. He is also a deputy lieutenant of County Durham and the author of six children’s books.

Mr Barron said: “It is with a heavy heart that I have decided to step down as editor but The Northern Echo is in robust health both in print and online and I feel the time is right to hand over to someone with fresh ideas and the energy to take the title into a new era in its illustrious history.

“It has been a huge privilege to edit one of Britain’s most prestigious titles over such a long, exciting and challenging period of change in our industry. I am extremely lucky to have worked with some of the most committed and talented journalists in the regional press and to have had the support of some of the country’s most loyal readers.

“I am also indebted to my wife Heather and my children Christopher, Hannah, Jack and Max for their unerring love and understanding.”

Mr Barron added: “I fully intend to continue as a journalist focused on the North-East and I am delighted that I will continue to write as a columnist for The Northern Echo and to represent the title in the community. However, the decision to step down as editor will also give me the time to pursue other interests, including writing more children’s books, and there is a lot more I want to achieve.”

Newsquest North-East managing director David Coates said: “Peter is quite rightly acknowledged as one of the leading journalists of his generation.

Under his stewardship The Northern Echo has grown its audience and achieved changes that have improved the lives of people in the North East. I am delighted he will be continuing his long association with the newspaper once he steps down from editing and I will look forward to working with him for many years to come.”

Mr Barron’s successor will be announced in due course.

David Kelly, the then managing director who appointed Mr Barron in 1999, said: "Peter was the obvious choice when the vacancy arose all those years ago.

"He has more than fulfilled the objectives we agreed, not least the need for The Northern Echo's community engagement to be refreshed and expanded.

"The other main need was to regenerate The Northern Echo's commitment to improving the lives of all its existing readers and potential readers.

"He has remained constant to those objectives through periods of change that the newspaper industry never truly anticipated nor had previously encountered.

"I celebrate and applaud him."