A FREE magazine celebrating Roots Reggae in the Thames Valley region will hit the shelves in Oxford later this week.

Youth worker and poet Mark Samuels, known as Natty Mark, created 'The Dub' with the help of contributors from across the city.

The quarterly magazine will be available at community venues and shops in Blackbird Leys and East Oxford from Friday, May 27.

Mr Samuels, of Donnington Bridge, said: "Recently, leafing through five music magazines I picked up on Cowley Road, there was no coverage of reggae - or any black music. This is the main inspiration behind The Dub: to offer a consistent quarterly channel for Roots Reggae music in the Thames Valley area."

The first edition will feature contributions from local creatives including Gary Constant, Danny Dread and King Lloyd from the Blackbird Leys area.

As of Friday the magazine will be available at Leys Linx in Blackbird Leys Community Centre, Blackbird Leys Library and the new Communi-Tea cafe at the Church of the Holy Family, Cuddesdon Way. It can also be picked up from the Truck Store, PMT and the Music Box in Cowley Rd.