Stefano Hatfield, editor-in-chief of Metro in the US and a former editor of PrintWeek sister title Campaign, will join NI in September as editorial director, NI projects.

His arrival at Wapping from Swedish group Metro International indicates that NI is planning to mount a major bid in the tender for the distribution contract on London Transport.

Confusion has surfaced, meanwhile, after a London Transport spokesman confirmed a newspaper report stating that the new afternoon paper must be printed with water-based inks for health and safety reasons.

The regulation, if it is enforced, means that no publisher intending to print using conventional litho would be able to print the paper.

Under the rule, only Associated Newspapers' Harmsworth Quays would be able to print the paper thanks to its flexo process. Associated's Metro, however, is already printed conventionally at the Kent Messenger Group.

Story by Josh Brooks