BBC Radio Solent presenters have been out-and-about in Hampshire to relaunch the station's magazine.

Fans turned out to greet Julian Clegg, Paul Miller, Indy Almroth-Wright, Sarah Watts and Alan Jones in Southampton, Winchester, New Milton and the Isle of Wight.

Paul and Indy, who present the Sunday Scene programme, are the cover stars on the new issue. It is the first in nearly a decade.

The duo spent hours in W H Smith in High Street, Southampton, signing scores of copies of the magazine as people queued right through the shop.

"We knew it would be popular, because listeners have never stopped asking for it. But we had no idea just how many people would show up for signed copies on the launch day. It was amazing," said Paul.

Breakfast show host Julian could barely fit into the Hampshire Chronicle offices in High Street, Winchester, so many fans wanted his autograph. "Listeners never stopped asking for the magazine. As soon as we announced that there were firm plans to bring it back, the phones went berserk," he said.

Julian was also the object of affection at Bookshop in Station Road, New Milton, while Sarah and Alan crossed the Solent to Farnsworth newsagents in Upper St James Street, Newport, Isle of Wight, for their signing session.

The magazine costs £1.80 and could become a quarterly publication if this pilot is a success.

"It certainly seems to have been well received so far," said the editor Ali Sparkes. In fact from the moment we announced on air that it was being relaunched, my poor colleagues at the BBC have dealt with incessant calls about it."

The magazine is produced in partnership with NEWSCOM, which owns the Southern Daily Echo and the Hampshire Chronicle.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.