Newsagents have criticised a regional daily’s “heart breaking” price rise which they say will see them lose out on takings.

The National Federation of Retail Newsagents has slammed the move by the Belfast Telegraph, which was made days before Christmas and has seen its cover price upped by 10p to 80p.

The NFRN says the increase means the amount retailers earn from the Telegraph will drop from 25pc to 21.87pc.

The Federation claims the Telegraph, owned by Dublin-based Independent News & Media, made no formal communication of the cut in percentage terms with its members.

The NFRN’s Northern Ireland president Judith Mercer said: “With the Belfast Telegraph treating its retail customers so meanly in the run up to the Christmas festivities, is it any wonder that many news retailers will be downgrading the newspaper displays in their stores and looking to other categories that demand less work but where the rewards are greater?”

NFRN Chief Executive Paul Baxter, pictured above left, accused the Telegraph of “taking money from the tills of retailers”.

He added: ““As if that’s not bad enough, it has sneaked through the move, by making no formal communication of the cut in percentage terms.

“We cannot believe that a newspaper can be so miserly and are remonstrating with the publisher at the highest level.”

The Telegraph has yet to respond to HoldtheFrontPage’s request for a comment.