Newspaper bosses have shaken hands on a landmark deal to sell copies of the title in Poundland.

The Cornishman, which conveniently has a cover price of £1, is the first paper to be sold in any of Poundland’s 450 branches across the UK and has already become the Penzance branch’s second best-selling item.

Store bosses have clear that if successful, the experiment could be extended to a host of other local title across the UK.

The deal came after months of discussion between the store, Cornishman sales and marketing executive David Pollard, and editor Jacqui Walls, who has now gone on maternity leave.

Acting editor Richard Best said:  “This is something our newspaper sales and marketing exec Dave Pollard has been working on for months, and it’s great to see it come to fruition.

“By 11am on the first day of sale the paper had already become the store’s second highest-selling item, so that shows there is a demand.

“For us it’s about maximising availability. The Cornishman has massively high penetration in Penzance, and generally speaking people are positive about it – they want to buy it. But busy lifestyles mean that many people actually go out shopping less frequently.

“We believe if we can make Penzance a town you can’t visit without tripping over The Cornishman at every turn, we will maximise our ability to sell papers.

Store manager Lesley Haley added: “This is the first newspaper in the country to be in Poundland. If it is successful, we will pan it out elsewhere.

“As a store we have always been keen to promote local products into the business. We want to be part of the community and we are one of the busiest shops in town.”

Assistant manager Paul Hicken, Cornishman editor Jacqui Walls and Poundland store manager Lesley Haley at the launch of the Cornishman in Poundland