The year-on-year declines may have been worsened by the increased interest in news in June 2016 around Britain’s referendum on leaving the European Union.

The only newspaper to increase sales year on year was The Times, up 2 per cent to 458,381 – putting it close behind the Daily Telegraph on 484,010.

However, The Times sales includes 97,105 bulks (free copies given away at places like airports and hotels) in its sale. In June 2016 The Times bulks figure stood at 72,622.