A FORMER Bury Times journalist is making the news rather than writing it.

For Gary Zabel, managing director of Hollis Directories Ltd, has sold the company to Wilmington Publishing Group and the firm's management.

The sale was instigated by Gary after it became clear that previous owner, Sweden's Observer AB, decided that the directory and database publisher fell outside its core business.

Gary, who worked for the Bury Times for a number of years, and colleagues Rosie Sarginson and Jane Ireland approached Wilmington and now have a 25 per cent share of the equity.

Teddington-based Hollis was founded in 1967. Six years ago, it was bought by the Romeika Group which sold out last December to media monitoring company Sifo, now renamed Observer AB.

Hollis publishes seven annual main directories, a newsletter and runs the annual awards event for the sponsorship industry.