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While the heaviest falls were seen in the Sunday market, all the dailies suffered with the exception of the Daily Mail and the Financial Times.

The top end of the market fell 1.82% to 2,704,723 copies but the leading title, The Daily Telegraph, was fairly insulated. It fell 0.19% to 899,493, which included 82,972 bulk copies.

The gap between it and its nearest rival widened after The Times dropped 2.75% to 635,777.

However, a more alarming gap appears to be opening between The Independent and the rest of the market. The Indy suffered the steepest fall among the dailies, down 5.9% to 238,756. The Guardian, down 4.38% to 365,635, remains around 130,000 copies ahead.

The one bright spot in the category was the Financial Times, up 1.09% to 437,720.

The mid-market was little changed, with the Daily Mail up 0.7% to 2,311,057 and the Daily Express down 0.12% to 773,768.

Among the red tops, the Daily Mirror's slide slowed but it was down 0.56% to 1,540,917.

Its rivals had more cause for concern this month. The Sun only achieved its customary 3m level by a whisker after it dropped 1.44% to 3,028,732.

Meanwhile, Richard Desmond's Daily Star lost 2.45% of its circulation, dropping from 769,226 to 750,374.

In the national Sunday market, marginal improvements for The People, which rose 0.32% to 766,842, and the Sunday Express, which increased by 0.14% to 759,495, were the only exceptions to an otherwise disappointing performance across the sector.

Worst hit was the Independent on Sunday, which fell below the psychologically important 200,000 barrier, plummeting by 6.59% to 198,871. The Sunday Times fell by 5.87% to 1,212,886, as its £2 cover price weighed it down, but it maintained its position as the number one title in the quality Sunday newspaper sector.

The Observer dropped by 2.73% to 435,852, followed by The Sunday Telegraph, which fell by 1.95% to 643,592, rounding off a dismal overall performance for the quality Sunday market, which has resulted in every title recording a notable drop in its circulation figures.

In the national Sunday popular market, the Daily Star Sunday dropped by 2.67% to 354,809, with the News of The World down 1.01% to 3,380,746. However, it is far ahead of its closest rival the Mail on Sunday, which slid by 6.16% to 2,241,752, ensuring Rupert Murdoch's title retains its status as having the highest circulation of any national UK Sunday newspaper.

The Sunday Mirror fell by 0.79% to 1,322,720, where it stays as the second-placed popular Sunday title behind its main competitor, the News of The World. It had been expected to suffer a much sharper fall.

In the mid market, The Mail on Sunday was the biggest casualty with its 6.16% fall, but the Sunday Express's modest improvement will barely impact on its arch rival's much stronger overall circulation figure.

North of the border, Scotland on Sunday dropped by 5.36% to 68,632, rounding off an unhappy performance across the national Sunday market overall.

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