PR agency Weber Shandwick North has appointed former journalist Sarah Park to the new role of head of media north.

Park previously worked at Liverpool PR agency Mason Media and before that spent more than seven years as a news and feature journalist writing for The Chester Evening Leader and The Northern Echo.

As well as supporting Weber Shandwick's corporate and consumer teams in Manchester in a traditional senior account manager role, Park will be responsible for creating a "news hub" and advising clients on how to work more closely with the media.

Jo Leah, the agency's managing director, said: "There are many exciting things happening at the Manchester agency and one of those is creating a Weber Shandwick News Hub. Weber Shandwick has many high-quality former journalists and we aim to tap into their experience as much as we can.

"Sarah’s skills will be invaluable and as head of media north, she will lead the Manchester arm in media relations to benefit our clients and enhance the counsel we aleady provide to businesses across the city.”

During her time in newspapers Park was awarded Young Journalist of the Year in the north west and Feature Writer of the Year in the north west.

She will now work with clients including Shell Lubricants, Thistle Hotels and Manchester Business School.