The Daily Star, the Sun and the Daily Mirror improve month-on-month sales in May

Tuesday, 16 June 2009 09:06

The ongoing saga of Susan Boyle and Britain's Got Talent, along with Katie Price and Peter Andre splitting up provided enough fodder for tabloid-friendly news.

Express Newspapers' Daily Star was once again the only national newspaper to record both month-on-month and year-on-year rises in circulation.

The red-top, which cut its cover price by 15p to 20p in November, saw sales rise by 2.19% month on month and 15.78% year on year to 840,701 copies.

In May, the Sun, which cut its cover price by a third to 20p in the London area last month to match the Daily Star, witnessed an upsurge of a 0.89% sales month on month.

The Daily Mirror recorded a 0.35% month-on-month circulation increase in May, to record a circulation of 1,325,237. This equated to a 10.69% decrease on sales for the same period last year.

Trinity Mirror's flagship title is still selling at 45p, but offered its readers a promotion with high-street bakery chain Greggs.

The Daily Mail sold 80% of copies at full rate last month. Bulk sales - copies that readers can pick up free from hotels, airlines and gyms, which pay a nominal fee to the publisher - stood at 131,301.