Every local daily newspaper in Britain saw its circulation fall in the second half of last year, ABC figures out today have shown.

During July to December last year Monday to Friday sales fell by up to 9.8 per cent (Birmingham Mail) compared to the first half of the year. The lowest drop was 0.7 per cent (Scunthorpe Telegraph).

Sales in Northern Ireland fared better, with the Belfast Telegraph recording a 0.1 per cent increase and the Irish News up 0.3 per cent.

The figures for the second six months of the year traditionally suffer from a relatively slow July, August and December - but year on year figures were little better, with only the Birmingham Post and Scunthorpe Telegraph seeing an improvement in sales, up 3.3 per cent and 2.5 per cent respectively.

In Northern Ireland the Belfast Telegraph was up two per cent and the News Letter increased circulation by 0.7 per cent.

Amongst the Sundays only the Sunday Journal in Northern Ireland saw a rise in the last six months, up 8.4 per cent, with Wales on Sunday recording the biggest drop, down 10.6 per cent.

Year on year the Sunday Journal and Sunday World's Northern Ireland were up, 18.5 per cent and five per cent respectively.

The picture for weeklies brought better news, with several seeing sales boosted.

Among the best performers was the Worksop Guardian, up 7.9 per cent period on period and 17.4 per cent year on year, and the Beccles and Bungay Journal, up 4.6 per cent in the second half of last year and 9.1 per cent year on year.

Other papers which saw improvements included the West and Somerset Mercury, Long Eaton Advertiser, Sidmouth Herald, Halstead Gazette, Petersfield Post, Hemel Hempstead Gazette and Dartford and Swanley Times.