The future for the printed version of the Southport Visiter looks increasingly uncertain

Publishers announce job cuts as fears grow for ailing Visiter.

The future for the printed version of the Southport Visiter looks increasingly uncertain after its owners announced scathing job cuts today.

Worried printing production staff at the trinity mirror title could be on a list of cuts as Trinity Mirror announced today plans to scale back work on the printed version of their papers in Merseyside.

While a final list of papers for the cut have yet to be announced, The NUJ have released a statement to fellow accredited media organisations, of the impending sad closure.

They said: “In the North West of England the company has announced it will discontinue print production in Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales. This will be replaced with two sites based in Liverpool and Colwyn Bay.

“The company has indicated its intention to move to just one site in Liverpool in future and this will cover all local newspaper print production in the North West.”

While no mention of which titles are to be scrapped, the only existing Trinity Mirror titles on Merseyside currently are The Liverpool Echo and the Visiter, including the Ormskirk Advertiser.

If confirmed, it could spell the beginning of the end of what was once a hugely popular twice weekly newspaper which provided news and entertainment for thousands, prior to its takeover by Trinity Mirror.

Martin Shipton, chair of Trinity Mirror group Chapel for the National Union of Journalists, said:”We are very concerned at the implications of these further cuts.

“Having more content produced centrally risks damaging the individual identity of the papers.

“The main selling point of regional and local papers remains their regional and local content.

“Watering that down is a self-defeating strategy.”