Peter Carbery, the editor of the Daily Star Sunday, is understood to be leaving as the tabloid moves closer to a combined seven-day operation with sister title the Daily Star.
Carbery, who was appointed editor in September 2013, is expected to depart after this week’s edition is put to bed on Saturday, according to sources at Express Newspapers.
Dawn Neesom, who has edited the Daily Star since 2003, is understood to be taking charge of both titles.
A spokesman for Express Newspapers, the publisher of the two titles as well as the Daily Express and Sunday Express, declined to comment.
However, insiders said Carbery’s departure was linked to proprietor Richard Desmond’s move towards a seven-day print operation for the Star titles, in order to cut costs.
Last summer, Desmond kicked-off a £14m cost-cutting drive that included shedding about 30% of Express Newspapers staff – 200 posts – and significantly reducing pagination across the four titles.
In December, it emerged that Desmond was once again looking at testing the market for a potential sale of the four titles, tasking his usual City adviser, Barclays, to sound out prospective suitors.
