The Barking and Dagenham Recorder has burst through the 5,000 sales mark - in a week when the opposition paper cut it's cover price to just 15p.

Staff were celebrating as the weekly recorded 5,236 sales - a figure which also marks a year-on-year increase of 34 per cent.

The Barking and Dagenham edition was relaunched in October last year, with a high profile promotion campaign, extra editorial pages and more local advertising.

An extra reporter was taken on and new readers were lured with a voucher scheme offering the paper for 25p.

Chris Carter, who edits the Archant title, said: "We have proved that with a team ethic results can be achieved beyond our wildest dreams.

"I have been in awe of the great dedication which has gone into the relaunch and am delighted those efforts have proved so successful."

Publishing director Paul Gregory added: "The whole team can be proud of the achievement and have demonstrated the commitment, quality and innovation which people have come to expect from the Recorder and Archant group."

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