THE publisher of the Beano yesterday agreed a deal to buy some of the Daily Mail group's regional newspapers.

Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) restructured its regional newspapers after agreeing to sell titles in Aberdeen for £132m.

The Aberdeen Journals business, which includes the Press and Journal and the Aberdeen Evening Express, is to be bought by DC Thomson, publisher of the Evening Telegraph, in Dundee, and the Beano.

DMGT also said it expected annual cost savings of at least £45m from its Northcliffe regionals division, rather than the £30m indicated in November.

It said further job cuts were likely, but did not disclose details. Northcliffe's has reduced its staff numbers from 7,450 at the start of last year to 6,600.

DMGT put Northcliffe on the market earlier this year, but chose to keep the business after offers of more than £1bn failed to reflect its long-term value.

The company said the price secured for its Aberdeen titles indicated the whole of Northcliffe was worth £1.5bn.

DMGT is planning to create one division taking in Northcliffe and its Associated Newspapers titles, which includes the Daily Mail and the London Evening Standard.