Regional ABCs: Dundee Evening Telegraph increases sales

The Dundee Evening Telegraph was the only regional daily title to increase sales in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, with the Belfast Telegraph the worst performer with double-digit sales declines. DC Thomson's daily title increased circulation by 3.4% year on year in the second half of last year to 23,331, according to the latest Audit Bureau of Circulations figures published today. The paper managed a 0.3% increase period on period. Circulation of stablemate the Aberdeen Press & Journal, the largest Scottish regional daily, fell by 3.5% year on year to 72,767 – a 2.3% period-on-period fall. The biggest faller in Scotland was at Newsquest's Glasgow-based Evening Times, which fell 8.6% year on year and 4.6% on the previous period to 54,255. However it was Independent News & Media's Belfast Telegraph that suffered the biggest fall by some margin – both year on year and period on period – of regional dailies in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. The title shed 11.7% of sales year on year to 58,491, a fall of 13.2% compared with the previous six months. In Wales, Trinity Mirror's South Wales Echo and the Western Mail halted double-digit year-on-year declines in circulation. However, both papers suffered a more pronounced circulation fall on the previous six months. Sales of the South Wales Echo were down 4.7% on the six months to December – an 8.7% year-on-year decline to 33,725. The Western Mail dropped 7% in the second half of 2010, down 8.8% year on year. The Leader in Wrexham, Flintshire and Chester, owned by North Wales newspapers, shed 5% of its sales compared with the previous six months, down to 17,530, a 4.6% fall on the previous year. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".