It is now owned by the Trinity Mirror group through their North Surrey and London Newspapers division.
Several other 'free-sheets' were already being circulated within this lucrative advertising area, but these usually lacked any editorial substance and were very much of the "read it and chuck it" variety.
The Informer offered a new style of free-sheet which also soon challenged the long established local "paid for" weekly press.
The new entrant's mix of human interest stories, entertainment reviews, lifestyle features and informative advertorial soon garnered it a lot of local respect.
The main editorial areas covered by The Stains Informer today are the Surrey boroughs of Spelt Horne, Runnymede and Elmbridge.