'Don't castrate press,' warns Rothermere

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He also criticised the Office of Fair Trading for acting as a block to consolidation among regional press groups which have been hammered by internet competition.

"Whatever regulation comes about, what matters is that we don't castrate our industry from doing our job," Rothermere said.

He confirmed that Daily Mail & General Trust, which owns a 25% stake in the Evening Standard, was looking again at options for Northcliffe, its regional newspaper arm, where revenues fell 9% in the last quarter.

But he hit out at the OFT for referring the sale of his seven, small Kent titles to the Kent Messenger group to the Competition Commission, which led to the deal being scrapped last autumn.

"The OFT needs to update its approach," Rothermere said.