News International and Times Newspapers Ltd have announced the resignation of James Harding as Editor of the Times.

Mr Harding informed the national independent directors of The Times this morning. He will leave at the end of the month.

Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and CEO of News Corporation said: "James has been a distinguished editor for The Times, attracting talented staff to the paper and leading it through difficult times. I have great respect for him as a colleague and friend, and truly hope we can work together again."

Mr Harding, 43, was one of the youngest journalists ever to take charge of the paper and has been at its helm for five years.

Educated at Cambridge, James Harding began his journalistic career at the Financial Times. He opened their Shanghai Bureau and served as Bureau Chief in Washington before joining The Times as Business Editor.

James Harding said: "For any journalist, it is an extraordinary privilege and a point of pride to see your work appear beneath the masthead of The Times, the greatest name in newspapers in the world. I feel hugely honoured to have been given the opportunity to edit the paper and deeply grateful for the experience of working among the finest journalists in the world. This paper has an unrivalled history and, I am extremely confident, a long and impressive future ahead of it."

The national independent directors of The Times will be now be consulted on a replacement for James.