A new columnist who is mad about newspapers has helped the News Shopper online increase its Italian readership by a whopping 6,000 per cent!

Since the London-based newspaper's website recruited Enrico Porro as its 'Man in Milan', it has been attracting a surge of interest from people in the land of pizzas, pasta and Ferraris.

Italian stallion Enrico is now writing a regular online column for the website, in which he talks about stories that have appeared in the News Shopper and compares them to life in Italy.

He was recruited by the News Shopper after he contacted the paper about his amazing hobby collecting newspapers.

He has hoarded more than 2,500 different papers from around the world, including more than 200 from Britain.

And the News Shopper was so impressed by Enrico's interest in newspapers, it invited him to write his own column.

So far he has written about such varied subjects as paedophilia, football rivalry and the dangers of air weapons.

And he has also given readers an insight into Italian traditions, such as how Christmas is celebrated and how some Italian newspapers have begun giving away classic works of literature with each edition to encourage people to read more.

Chris Steel, digital news producer for Newsquest London, said: "Since it was set up our users in Italy have leapt from 32 to more than 2,000.

"It's amazing what a foreign correspondent can do!"

To read more about Enrico, visit www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/enrico.

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