The Daily Star ended a long run of year-on-year circulation rises in May, dropping 2.1 per cent to 822,934.

It meant that no UK-wide national newspaper put on sales year on year in May.

The Daily Mirror dropped 6.6 per cent year on year to 1,238,145, The Sunday Mirror dropped 5.9 per cent to 1,148,107 and The People dropped 9.7 per cent to 526,438.

Trinity Mirror announced yesterday that it was to cut around 200 jobs, or up to 40 per cent of the total editorial workforce, at its three national newspaper titles.

Elsewhere in the popular and mid markets, The Sun was the best performer - dropping by just 1.6 per cent to an average sale of 2,936,099. The paper continues to sell for 20p in many parts of the country.

The News of the World, which in May had a massive exclusive about Sarah Ferguson, dropped just 2.2 per cent to 2,858,727.

Full national newspaper ABC figure for May 2010: Source ABC - http://www.newstatesman.com/newspapers/2010/06/daily-star-sunday-circula...