The fate of the Reading Post was uncertain this month after the company which publishes the title was sold to rival Trinity Mirror.

The Guardian Media Group (GMG) has acquired the Post plus sister titles, the Wokingham Times and Bracknell Forest Standard.

Trinity Mirror sold the Reading Chronicle to Berkshire Media Group, a subsidiary of the Dunfermline Press, in 2007 as part of a £10 million package.

The Reading Post has been in decline for a number of years. Originally a six days per week title with numerous editions, it now is published just twice a week. Recent circulation figures showed an 8.1% decline in sales.

Trinity Mirror said the acquired titles complemented its existing portfolio and reinforced its commitment to regional media. The deal is due to complete at the end of March although the Office of Fair Trading is to examine the takeover.

Trinity Mirror chief executive Sly Bailey said the deal was “a perfect strategic fit” and added: “This acquisition extends our reach across print and online and is a further step towards our strategic goal of creating a multimedia business of real scale."