Cover price cut in north boosts the Sun as Daily Star, Daily Mirror, Daily Express and Daily Mail report circulations falls

The Sun was the only UK popular daily national newspaper to record a circulation rise month on month in August.

News International's daily tabloid, which cut its cover price in the north of England to 20p in mid-July matching an earlier price reduction in London in May, saw its August circulation rise 0.23% compared to July to 3,128,501. This was up from 3,121,407 the month before, according to the latest Audit Bureau of Circulations figures published.

The rate of growth for the tabloid was slower than in July, when it had a 3% rise on June. Year on year, the Sun was down 0.64%.

Richard Desmond's Daily Star, also previously buoyed by a price cut to 20p in November, saw months of circulation growth stall, down 0.03% on July to post a daily sale of 886,814. However, year on year, the title was up 18.01%, reflecting the circulation benefit of its price cutting strategy.

The Trinity Mirror-owned Daily Mirror was down 1.13% on July's figure, selling 1,324,883 copies a day in August, and was down 8.96% year on year.

The paper raised its cover price by 5p to 45p in January.

In the popular mid-market, both Associated's Daily Mail and the Daily Star's Northern & Shell stablemate the Daily Express saw month on month and year on year declines in August.

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