TINDLE Newspapers, owners of the Tavistock Times Gazette, East Cornwall Times and Princetown Times, is buying the Sunday Independent, the oldest regional Sunday newspaper in England and Wales, from Newsquest. Contracts have been exchanged for the deal to be completed within the next few weeks.

The paper, which is almost 200 years old, recently launched four subsidiary titles, the Plymouth Independent, Devon Independent, Cornwall Independent and the Bristol and Somerset Independent. It has offices in Plymouth and was launched in 1808 in the city.

Sir Ray Tindle, chairman of Tindle Newspapers Ltd, said he and group managing director Brian Doel were highly delighted with the purchase and thanked Paul Davidson, chairman and chief executive of Newsquest, and finance director Paul Hunter for their courtesy throughout the negotiations.

Newsquest chairman Paul Davidson said the Sunday Independent was joining a great stable of titles. ?I am sure it will enjoy an excellent future with Tindle Newspapers and we wish them every success,? he said.

Both Sir Ray and Brian Doel have been shareholders in the Sunday Independent in the past. Both were involved when the title was bought from Mirror Group Newspapers in 1982 when it had been the core title of the Mirror Group Newspapers journalist training scheme for 20 years. They were joint owners until the title went to Yattendon in 1989 before being sold to Southern Newspapers, later part of Newscom, which in turn was taken over by Newsquest

Tindle Newspapers, one of the last family newspaper businesses, runs more than 150 newspapers, many of which are more than 100 years old. In the West Country they have 80 newspaper titles, including 12 monthlies launched in the last four months.

Brian Doel has been involved with West Country newspapers for more than 30 years. Sir Ray went to school in Devon and served in the Devonshire Regiment from 1944 to 1947.