The newspaper circulation auditor ABC has upheld a complaint against a claim made in the Dewsbury and District Press.

An article in the newspaper on August 19 incorrectly claimed that The Press (Dewsbury & District) was the biggest newspaper in the valley, and made incorrect comparisons with a number of other newspapers.

The Audit Bureau of Circulations upheld the complaint, which was reported by Yorkshire Weekly Newspaper Group, which publishes The Weekly Advertiser in the area.

The ABC report on the matter said: “Although the publisher had intentionally excluded The Weekly Advertiser from ‘the biggest newspaper’ claim based upon their own criteria, it does have a higher verified distribution figure than The Press and so this claim was deemed inaccurate and required not to be repeated.

“The distribution figure quoted for The Press and compared with other titles was at the time of the article the publisher’s increased distribution figure awaiting certification.

“Whilst the increased distribution was subsequently certified by ABC, the publisher is advised that comparisons with other titles must only be made using the latest ABC certified distribution figures, that the distinction between paid and free titles must be shown and that term households should not be used in relation to paid for titles.”