Sky News, Britain's leading TV news channel, announced today that it has signed Natasha Kaplinsky, presenter of LNN's London Tonight and London Today.

Natasha will take over as co-presenter of Sky News's Sunrise programme in November.

Natasha, who is 28, joined LNN a year ago and since then has presented London Tonight with Alastair Stewart. She has also been the face of LNN's lunchtime show London Today and has presented LWT's live Sunday morning current affairs programme Seven Days.

She has an Oxford degree in English and after leaving university worked as a political researcher for the then Labour leader Neil Kinnock. She joined Meridian TV in 1997 and rapidly moved to a main presenter's role on Meridian Tonight, the stations' evening news programme.

Nick Pollard, Head of Sky News, said: "I am delighted that Natasha is joining us. She is one of the brightest young talents in television news presenting. She's got a strong journalistic instinct and real warmth on screen. Sky News is the market leader in 24-hour news and the quality of our presenting team is central to our success. Natasha is an impressive addition to that team."

Natasha said: "Leaving LNN has been a great wrench and everybody has been wonderful to me but I am looking forward to the challenge of joining Sky News."