Freesheets feel the cold over Christmas

The freesheets suffered sharp drops in circulation in December, according to the latest Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) figures, as Londoners left the capital for the holiday period.

News International-owned thelondonpaper saw its circulation drop by 5% to 471,158, down from a July high of more than 500,000. It remains ahead of rival London Lite, owned by Associated Newspapers, which saw its circulation drop by 2.8% to 389,304 in December.

Associated Newspapers’s morning freesheet Metro fared better, with the London edition dropping by 0.49% to 742,291. However, its paid-for evening paper The Evening Standard saw its circulation slip from 2.6% to 284,406.

Business freesheet City AM also saw Christmas take its toll, with circulation falling by 13.9% to 86,822.

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