Newspapers set for new owner

The Guiton Group has been valued at £75.9m by the Claverley Group

The company which runs two Channel Islands newspapers could be taken over by a UK newspaper company.

The Guiton Group, which owns the Jersey Evening Post and the Guernsey Press, has been valued at £75.9m by the Claverley Group.

Claverley has been a shareholder in the Guiton Group since 1975 and runs titles such as the Wolverhampton Express and Shropshire Star newspapers.

The Guiton Group has been run by the Guiton family in Jersey since 1890 and also owns Channel Islands Newsagents and the Itex computer company.

Guiton Group chairman and Jersey Senator Frank Walker said he would be sad to sell the family business.

Emotional links

"There are very heavy and strong emotional links, not just for me but for other members of my family.

"We are conscious of the fact that my family has been involved in the Guiton Group since its inception in 1890.

"But time moves on and this offer is so attractive that the board is recommending its acceptance."

Senator Walker said he would stay on as the chairman of the Group and the management teams would remain the same.

He said Claverley would invest heavily in the papers and Guiton's other businesses.