The Independent: More readers, more success

The latest figures released by the National Readership Survey reveal huge rises in readership for both Independent titles.

The official figures show that, in the period of July to December 2005, readership of The Independent has increased by 29.8 per cent (to a daily figure of 763,00) over the same six months a year previously. This is the highest figure for the paper for 10 years. The survey also showed that women readers increased by 55 per cent, while readership for The Independent on Sunday rose year-on-year by 21.6 per cent to 799,000.

This comes at the end of a week of more success for The Independent. At the British Press awards, Hamish McRae was named Business and Finance Journalist of the Year. The judges praised McRae as "a man who takes the long view in a rapidly changing economic world, a writer who covers a vast area with dazzling skill and judgement".

And our environment editor Michael McCarthy was named Environment Journalist of the Year at the British Environment and Media awards. The judges said of McCarthy's work: "Making the absolute most of the magnificent opportunity afforded to him, McCarthy revels in the pages of prime space which his paper uniquely devotes to environmental coverage."