NEWSQUEST, publisher of The Herald, Sunday Herald and Evening Times, has teamed up with a host of media groups to launch an innovative digital advertising platform.

The partners behind 1XL say the platform will harness the combined strength of local media to give advertisers unprecedented digital reach around the UK.

By bringing together more than 800 sites, which publish more than 50,000 articles a week, it allows brands to access a breadth of local media advertising opportunities via a single sales point.

The 1XL platform will be run by a dedicated media sales team at Mediaforce Group Developed in response to growing market demand, it allows advertisers to benefit from the trust placed in local media by their communities. It has potential to reach more than 17.5 million monthly unique users.

Newsquest's partners in the venture include Local World, Johnston Press and independent local media businesses. Chief executive Henry Faure Walker said: "This is a significant step forward for Newsquest and our industry."