MASSIVE equipment is being installed to bring extra colour and greater variety more quickly to you, the readers of the Evening Press.

Part of the gable end of the headquarters of York & County Press in Walmgate, York, has been removed to allow a new four-tonne automatic inserter to be moved into place.

That accounts for the huge web of scaffolding which has sparked false rumours that there is a battle to prevent the Foss end of the building from sinking into the river bed.

Until now supplements and leaflets have had to be inserted by hand into all York & County Press publications, including the Gazette & Herald and STAR.

But the new machinery, supplied by Schur of Denmark, will do it at lightning speed, actually keeping pace with the presses.

The mechanical inserter will cut costs, and by lopping up to half-an-hour off the process ensure that on insertion days editions are on the streets sooner. It is part of an £854,000 investment which will see a revamped dispatch area and should become operational by the end of January. The Northern Echo, which is also published overnight at York, will benefit hugely from the prospect of more supplements.

Dave Gibson, head of operations for York & County Press said: "Honestly, we're not sinking into the Foss. We have had to remove one wall to install the inserter and other equipment.

"It will increase our ability to put extra colour into our papers. Insertion by hand has been efficient, but about 30 minutes behind press production, whereas this state-of-the-art machine will virtually keep pace with the presses. It will mean an even better service for our readers."

Updated: 10:35 Tuesday, November 12, 2002