LONDON (Dow Jones)--Daily Mail & General Trust PLC (DMGT.LN) has drawn up detailed plans to jettison its local newspaper arm, Northcliffe, owner of the Leicester Mercury and Bristol Evening Post, U.K. newspaper The Times reported Sunday. Talks have been held to offload Northcliffe into Johnston Press PLC (JPR.LN) or Trinity Mirror PLC (TNI.LN), with DMGT swapping the division for a stake in the enlarged group, the newspaper said. DMGT was not immediately available to comment. A combination with either rival would create a clear market leader in local media and act as a test case for the further relaxation of media ownership rules. Newspaper Web site: http://www.timesonline.co.uk -London Bureau, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 (0)20 7842 9320 (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 11, 2010 08:08 ET (12:08 GMT)