Independent News & Media (INM), the Dublin-based owner of The Independent, revealed in a trading update that it has signed a 15-year deal to print Irish editions of The Sun and The News of the World at its Belfast Telegraph plant.

The deal, signed in June this year, will begin at the expanded plant in 2007. PrintWeek revealed the 20m expansion at the city-centre site, including a new full-colour Goss Colorliner 70 press and Muller Martini mailroom, last September.

In the trading update, INM stated: "The Belfast print facility is now the largest and most efficient newspaper printing/production operation on the island of Ireland, printing most of the major UK nationals."

Johnston Press has already secured two 15-year deals to print all of NI's titles at its new 60m site in Dinnington, near Sheffield, and its Portsmouth plant, which is undergoing a 45m overhaul.

Both plants will run triple-width MAN Roland Colorman presses when they are complete.

Rupert Murdoch-owned NI is also firming up plans to dump wholesalers and revamp its distribution model in a bid to give editorial and print teams even later deadlines, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The group plans to distribute papers close to its Waltham Cross, Enfield and Glasgow plants itself, rather than relying on wholesalers Surridge Dawson, Menzies and WH Smith.

Ian Jackson, News International director of strategic development, told the paper: "It is yet another example of this company challenging the status quo."

NI's decision will raise eyebrows at the OFT, which has controversial plans to introduce competition to the monopolistic newspaper and magazine distribution business.