Charlie Turner appointed Top Gear magazine's editor-in-chief

BBC Worldwide has appointed Top Gear acting editor Charlie Turner as editor-in-chief and Tom Ford, the former host of Channel 5's Fifth Gear, as associate editor of the magazine. Turner was most recently Top Gear's creative director and took over the role of acting editor when Conor McNicholas abruptly left the magazine in June . He has been with the magazine since 2003 and also stood in between the departure of Michael Harvey in April last year and the arrival of McNicholas in October. Top Gear has also formalised a role for Ford, who was deputy editor between 2003 and 2006. He has continued to freelance for the magazine in the intervening period. "Charlie has been acting editor since the summer, and having done a fantastic job thoroughly deserves this opportunity," said the Top Gear publisher, Simon Carrington. Top Gear magazine is currently in the process of going through a redesign. Top Gear magazine's circulation fell 5.2% year on year in the latest Audit Bureau of Circulation figures for the six months to the end of June . • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".