Latest circulation figures show that almost all regional newspapers are “actively purchased”, with figures no longer taking into account bulk drops and free copies.

The Audit Bureau Circulations data for January to June this year shows that 80 per cent of newspapers are posting 100 per cent actively purchased figures, compared with 65 per cent last year.

More than half of weekly titles are showing circulation gains but some of the larger dailies have been affected by the reduction in bulk sales, countered by strong growth in their percentage of actively purchased sale.

Among the top evening newspaper performers are the Herald Express, Torquay (up 2 per cent), Dorset Evening Echo, Weymouth (up 1.9 per cent) and South Wales Argus (+1.4 per cent).

The London Evening Standard maintained its position as largest regional evening, with the West Midlands Express & Star at number two, and the Manchester Evening News at number three.

Top performers among the morning papers were the Paisley Daily Express (up 1.47 per cent), the Western Morning News, Plymouth (up 1.45 per cent), and the Irish News (+0.04 per cent).

The Daily Record remains the UK’s largest regional morning, with the Aberdeen Press & Journal the second-largest and The Herald, Glasgow, third largest.

The fastest-growing paid-for weeklies were the Mansfield Chad (+22.4 per cent), Monmouth Free Press (+18 per cent), and Abergavenny Free Press (+16.1 per cent). The biggest paid weeklies are the Kent Messenger, West Briton and Mansfield Chad.

The largest regional Sundays are Scotland’s Sunday Mail, the Sunday Post, and Scotland on Sunday.

The largest free weeklies are Manchester Metro News, Nottingham & Long Eaton Topper, and The Glaswegian.

The Stratford Observer, Sutton Guardian and Bristol Observer saw the biggest increases in distribution of all free weeklies.

The figures also showed: