The company, part of the Yattendon Investment Trust, currently operates an 11-year-old KBA Anilox Journal press, which will be augmented with two four-high towers.

Cambridge Newspapers deputy managing director Andy Galtry said: "Theres an ever-increasing demand for colour. A lot of advertisers want four or five full-colour pages in a row and at the moment we can only do two side-by-side."

Delivery is planned for May 2003 with the new press towers going live in mid summer. This will boost the companys capacity to 64pp of continuous colour in collect mode.

"At the moment we outsource our Property News title, as it needs more colour. We will be able to produce that in-house, and believe there are a lot more avenues out there," said Galtry.

The latest order is part of an ongoing investment programme, which has included digital cameras and the companys Autologic CTP platesetter that was installed last November.

Galtry said that the investment showed that although Cambridge Newspapers had a successful website it was committed to newspaper production.

Cambridge Newspapers, which has operated from its site on the outskirts of the town for 11 years, prints the Cambridge Evening News and 10 free weekly titles. It also prints nine titles for sister company Herts and Essex Newspapers.

The firm has 300 employees, with 100 working in the print department.

Story by John Davies