The trainees are coming from all over Britain and beyond. One of the privately funded delegates, Jeppe Sorenson, is from Denmark and Ruth O’Kelly Lynch is coming from Bermuda.

There is also a tremendous mix of papers represented from Celtic Newspapers’ community championing titles to nationals like The Times and Daily Mirror.

Trinity Mirror has 17 trainees signed up for the course but delegates are also coming from the Burton Mail, the Aberdeen Evening Express and the South Wales Evening Post.

Head of Foundation Course Training, Paul Jones, said: “The course has now been running for 37 years and we believe this is the largest number of candidates to be enlisted.

“We have set up and equipped a new newsroom and enlisted the help of the Hastings centre’s shorthand tutor, Sylvia Bennett, to cope with the increase.

“It promises to be a busy time for everyone but by the end of the course we will boast a bigger news team than many regional papers so the news drive days should be something special.”

PA's Head of Foundation Course Training, Paul Jones, said: "We had a tremendous four months and were delighted with the results achieved by the trainees.

"It was particularly pleasing because this was the first course run at Newcastle under the PA banner."