Giving away free copies of the Reading Evening Post has actually helped to increase sales of the title, according to editorial director Andy Murrill.

He says the paper has seen a steady circulation increase since the start of the year, helped on by a weekly issue give-away, earlier edition times and a football team on the verge of making it into the Premiership.

Owners Guardian Media Group last year closed the Evening Post’s sister free weekly, Reading Central, and now 100,000 copies of the Post are delivered free to homes across the town every Wenesday in addition to it being on sale.

And Andy says staff there have been suprised at the results, with an uplift in sales on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

He told HoldtheFrontPage: “We decided to combine our good distribution network with the strengths of the paid-for. It is now a much bigger paper with all the free advertisers, and it selling more than it did before.

“It is also helping to show everyone the paper and there has been an increase in sales on Thursdays and Fridays too.”

The paper has moved away from its mid-morning deadline, and is now available in the shops alongside the nationals on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Monday’s deadline is later, at 10am, to scoop up news from over the weekend, and there is an opportunity to print later in the day should any big breaking news emerge.

Andy said: “It has been a big success. Being available first thing in the morning give readers more opportunity to buy the paper.

“We have also moved our entertainment offering from Friday to Thursday, giving readers more time to plan their weekend, and with jobs and football sections as well Thursday is a significant paper with around 80 pages.”

In addition, local football club Reading are currently riding high in the Championship, giving readers an extra incentive to catch up with all the sports news in the Evening Post on Mondays and Fridays.

And the paper’s website, getReading, doesn’t miss out, being regarded a marketing tool that can boost the paper’s profile rather than hit sales.

It has been totally revamped and has moved away from messageboards, instead allowing readers to leave comments at the bottom of each page which are then fed back into the paper.

People can also send their mobile pictures in online, and a recent picture of Prince Harry out drinking in the town made the Evening Post’s front page.

Andy said: “We have got to innovate all the time as we are close to the tough London market.

“We don’t stand still – Reading has the highest usage of Internet and is a major IT employer, we’re not frightened of the Internet and aim to be the main news provider in the area across all media.”