UK regional daily newspapers audited by ABC lost print sales at an average rate of 12.5 per cent year on year in 2016, according to figures released today.

The Johnston Press-owned Wigan Evening Post was the fastest faller, dropping 36 per cent year on year to an average of 2,382 copies per night.

Pro-independence Scottish daily The National was the next biggest faller, down 30 per cent year on year to 8,496. The title was launced in 2014 in the wake of the Scottish referendum vote.

Other big print fallers included: The Gloucester Citizen (down 20 per cent), Hartlepool Mail (down 23 per cent ) and the Yorkshire Evening Post (down 19 per cent).

The best performing title was the Yorkshire Post, the morning daily published in Leeds by Johnston Press, which fell 3.6 per cent year on year.

Print falls are being offset in readership terms in most cases by website growth. However, pressure on digital advertising means circulation and revenue decline is generally going hand-in-hand for regional newspaper titles – with the result that the industry continues to see widespread job cuts.