A free weekly dubbed “Britain’s biggest” has reported a “healthy demand” from readers and advertisers after returning to print.

The Manchester Weekly News hit the streets again for the first time after a five-month hiatus due to the coronavirus crisis.

The title was among five owned by Reach plc which had their publication temporarily suspended in April because of the pandemic, but the other four have since been closed permanently by the company.

The Weekly News, dubbed “Britain’s biggest free weekly newspaper” at the time of its launch in 2015, returned to print yesterday.

Darren Thwaites, Reach’s marketplace publisher for the North West and North Wales, told HTFP: “We’re delighted to be back after a short break in publishing.

“There remains a healthy demand from readers and advertisers for a free local newspaper series that’s widely distributed across Greater Manchester.

“While the region that we serve faces ongoing challenges posed by Covid, this is a positive sign that shows many businesses are back trading.

“We’re pleased these businesses are using our many platforms – both in print and online – to reach their local customers.”