JOURNALISTS in north and west Cumbria have voted to take industrial action in a dispute over pay.

Staff in the National Union of Journalists - who work for The Cumberland News, News & Star, Times & Star and The Whitehaven News - will hold a one-day strike on Thursday, December 20.

A spokesman for Newsquest said: “We are disappointed that the NUJ has taken this stance especially as Newsquest has in fact invested in a new state of the art system for the editorial department and actually increased the number of reporters than under the previous owners. 

"Our primary focus is to ensure that these titles have a sustainable future and despite this strike action they will continue to be published in full.”