Belfast Telegraph parent group INM sold to Belgian firm

The Belfast Telegraph has been sold as part of the Independent News and Media group to Mediahuis, which is based in Antwerp

The sale of the company which owns the Belfast Telegraph has been completed.

Independent News and Media was sold to Belgian company Mediahuis for £126m.

INM chief executive Michael Doorly stood down on Wednesday with immediate effect and was replaced by Mediahuis boss Marc Vangeel.

The sale was approved in Dublin's High Court on Tuesday morning.

INM is the biggest newspaper publisher on the island of Ireland.

It has owned the Belfast Telegraph since 2000.

It also owns the Irish Independent and several regional newspapers in the Republic of Ireland as well as the websites PropertyNews, nijobfinder and Recruit NI.

Mediahuis group chief Gert Ysebaert said: "We are delighted to have concluded the acquisition of INM, which has a longstanding history of providing high quality journalism on the island of Ireland".