Rotarians heard how the newspaper, with its advertising and circulation, reflected the strength of the local business scene, a reflection that was strong and growing.

Rotarian Marcus Horrell said: “Listening to Mark expand on the many developments at the Telegraph Group and how it tapped into the pulse of our region was stimulating.

“From the City Lite newspaper, which is distributed at the train station and the Serpentine Green Shopping Centre, to the very latest developments on the website www.peterboroughtoday.co. uk, he explained what makes the ET tick.

“ The number of journalists on the newspaper, the website and now even video reporters for the website helped club members see the reality of business growth in and around Peterborough.”

Past President David Heather said: ”Mark has a strong background in newspapers and is familiar with many towns both in the region and nationally. From his broad knowledge of our area he observed that Peterborough had the most exciting plans for the future of any other local towns.”