John Lennon, managing director of the Association of Convenience Stores’ (ACS) news retailing arm, has been made redundant as part of a restructuring process.

Responsibility for the Association of News Retailing (ANR) will be taken on directly by ACS public affairs director Shane Brennan. The ACS said it would continue to focus on news and magazine issues at what is a “crucial time for the industry”, and would focus on persuading the Office of Fair Trading (OFT)  to address problems in the news supply chain.

James Lowman, ACS chief executive, said: “We are sad to part company with John Lennon, who has played such a massive role in establishing ANR as a credible, constructive and strong champion of news retailers. 

“John’s professionalism, deep understanding of the industry, and passion for retailing has made him an effective voice for our sector on news issues. We are extremely grateful for John’s commitment in his decade at the helm of ANR.”

Meanwhile, Whitley Bay newsagent Kieran McDonnell has been elected as the new president of the National Federation of Retail Newsagents (NFRN). McDonnell was elected at the NFRN’s annual conference in Torquay last week. He is the first Northern member to hold this post since 1994.