The Eastern Daily Press is one of Archant's 50 titles

On Thursday, Archant, which owns local newspapers across Norfolk, Suffolk, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, announced it had bought the titles from Independent News and Media.

A spokesman for Archant, which has its head office in Norwich, said the newspapers bought included the Islington Gazette, the East London Advertiser and the Barking and Dagenham Post.

The announcement comes after it announced cost-cutting redundancies among editorial and photographic staff at its Ipswich-based East Anglian Daily Times and the Evening Star.

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

Newspapers across the region

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

Archant currently produces four daily regional newspapers, including the Eastern Daily Press in Norwich.

It has more than 50 weekly newspapers, including titles such as the Royston Crow, the Ely Standard and the North Essex Advertiser, with a combined circulation of around 2.5 million copies every week.

It also publishes about 60 magazines and 40 websites.

It is a private company with a turnover of more than �150m.