Johnston Press has announced a growth in advertising revenues for the year - despite tough trading conditions in the industry as a whole.

Circulation of its weekly titles is "marginally ahead" overall, but its evening titles are showing a slight decline.

The Edinburgh-based group said business in the first five months of 2001 had been better than expected and like-for-like advertising revenue was up by three per cent on the same period a year ago.

The figure is down on the six per cent growth recorded in the second half of 2000, but Johnston says trading since the turn of this year has been "better than expected".

A statement from the company said: "Despite the prevailing mood of economic uncertainty which must give rise to a degree of caution, the board expects continued modest revenue growth."

In common with other newspaper groups around the country, advertising revenue has been strongest in the situations vacant columns of its regional titles, which include the Peterborough Evening Telegraph, Northampton Chronicle & Echo, the Scarborough Evening News and Shields Gazette as well as weekly titles all over the country.

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