The Irish News was the only morning title to increase its circulation year on year, once again outperforming the morning sector with a 0.4 per cent increase in sales to 48,518.
In 2005, the paper invested in a new press and relaunched in compact format from a Berliner format.
Following developments in the peace process, the paper has had to reinvent itself and focus on areas away from politics such as business, sport and entertainment.
The new editor of the Birmingham Post looks to made his mark on the paper. With a 1.5 per cent decline in circulation compared with 9.9 per cent in the last set of result, Marc Reeves's paper has one of the best improved circulations in the regional press from the last period.
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The paper now has a circulation of 12,813. Its overall improved circulation performance from the last period was 8.48 per cent which was one of the highest increases in the regional press.
Reeves, who stepped out of a senior managerial role at Trinity Mirror in April 2006 to return to his journalistic roots, said a return to the paper's tradition as a serious broadsheet is responsible for its success.
He said: "Not only do (the figures) show a dramatic improvement in the year-on-year performance, but they show a significant increase over the previous period. In the last quarter in particular, we were seeing year on year increases, and I'm pleased to say that this momentum has continued into 2007.
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"This performance is underpinned by a return to The Birmingham Post's great tradition of serious broadsheet journalism aimed at the region's wealth creators and policy makers."
The Liverpool Daily Post's offering of free city centre editions of its paid-for paper has yet to have as dramatic an impact on sales, with a dip of just 8.7 per cent.
Although the Post was the worst performer in the morning sector, its decline was less than in the last period, when it was down a hefty 10.4 per cent.
The Western Daily Press was the second-worst performer in the morning market, down 8 per cent with the Newcastle Journal the third hardest hit at 7.6 per cent.
Regional morning papers — Monday to Saturday circulation and year on year change
Birmingham Post 12,813 -1.5%
Bristol – Western Daily Press 43,512 -8.0%
Darlington – The Northern Echo 50,675 -5.2%
Ipswich – East Anglian Daily Times 35,806 -4.1%
Leeds – Yorkshire Post 51,777 -5.4%
Liverpool Daily Post 17,103 -8.7% –
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Journal 37,822 -7.6%
Norwich – Eastern Daily Press 67,004 -3.4%
Plymouth – Western Morning News 43,036 -3.9%
Daily Post (Wales) 38,332 -3.2%
Wales – The Western Mail – Morning 39,776 -7.4%
Aberdeen – Press & Journal 82,325 -2.7%
Dundee Courier & Advertiser 75,435 -3.3%
Paisley Daily Express 9,978 -6.6%
Irish News – Morning 48,518 0.4%
Ulster – News Letter 27,205 -4.9%
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