The Evening News has topped the league of UK newspapers by increasing its sales by a bigger margin than any other regional daily title.

The Evening News and Eastern Daily Press were two of only three of the UK's 86 daily regional newspapers to see a circulation rise in the first half of 2011, according to figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulation.

All five paid-for weekly titles produced in Norfolk by the media group Archant also outperformed the newspaper industry as a whole by posting circulation increases.

The ABC figures showed the Evening News top the industry league for its 3.4pc circulation increase between January and June this year compared to the first half of 2010 – with an average daily circulation of 19,161.

The EDP was the second-best performing title in England and Wales with a 0.6pc rise in circulation to 59,490 copies.

The Lowestoft Journal (up 6.5pc) led the way for the Norfolk weekly titles, followed by the Great Yarmouth Mercury (up 4.9pc), Beccles & Bungay Journal (up 4pc), Dereham & Fakenham Times (up 0.8pc) and North Norfolk News (up 0.3pc).

Archant's two daily newspapers in Suffolk, the Ipswich Evening Star (down 0.64pc) and the East Anglian Daily Times (down 1.3pc), were the fourth and sixth best-performers nationally.

For the Evening News, EDP and Lowestoft Journal, yesterday's figures were the second consecutive half-year circulation rise.

Archant Anglia managing director Johnny Hustler said: 'These figures show newspapers with first-class content and the community's interest at heart can have a growing appeal to readers. But the figures also underline the value our printed products are delivering to our advertisers by being at the heart of Norfolk life.'

Norwich Evening News editor Tim Williams said: 'I'm delighted to see the Evening News at the top of the pile. We're focused on giving readers great local, community news. We live in a great city and our team works hard to give readers a newspaper to reflect that.'