NEWSQUEST, which locally publishes The Kidderminster Shuttle, Stourbridge, Halesowen and Dudley News and associated weekly newspapers, has joined two other major regional publishers to create a combined digital advertising platform that will enable ads to be sold across 800 local websites.

The partnership with Johnston Press and Local World will establish 1XL, which will have a combined reach of 17.5m monthly web users.

Henry Faure Walker, chief executive of Newsquest, said: “This is a significant step forward for our industry.

"Through 1XL, national advertisers will now be able to run one campaign seamlessly across 800 local news sites across the UK.

"Online display advertising is now worth more than £2b per annum, a market hitherto dominated by the likes of Google and Facebook.

"We look forward to local news publishers, with the huge investment they make in quality content and local journalism, being able to take their rightful share.”