Standard readers are 'frustrated'

As a free paper, the Standard has more than double its circulation

Weeks after the Evening Standard became a freesheet, readers and shop keepers have expressed frustration at the move.

Since 12 October, about 600,000 copies of the Evening Standard have been given out in London every weekday.

But BBC London found that many Standard readers in the suburbs were unable to get hold of a copy of the newspaper.

BBC London asked viewers to contact us if they have had problems finding a copy and dozens of readers have since emailed to express frustrations.

'Annoyed'

Loyal Standard reader Gloria Goodfella, from north London, said: "Whetstone and surrounding areas don't seem to keep it which is most frustrating when you've been reading it for years."

Keith Peters from Walthamstow, east London, said: "I am quite annoyed that the Evening Standard is no longer being sold in shops around my area. I used to buy it everyday.

Some readers of the paper, which is 75.1% owned by Russian billionaire Alexander Lebedev, have even had problems finding the paper in central London.

"The other day I was outside Holborn station at four in the afternoon and there was not one copy of the Standard available nor a newspaper seller in sight," said David Saldanha, who has been reading the paper for 30 years.

Makesh Raikundlaia, who runs a newsagent in Palmers Green said he has only been getting half the customers he used to since he stopped selling the Standard in his shops when it became a freesheet.

"Customers used to come for the paper when it was 50p and buy other goods but now they don't come in," he says.

"Some people come in for the Evening Standard and when we say we don't have it they become frustrated."

Evening Standard editor Geordie Greig said: "The Standard has 600,000 copies out in London today. That's more copies than have ever been distributed by a London paper and more people read the Standard than ever before."

Meanwhile, freesheet The London Lite, which was launched in 2006 to compete with the London Paper and the Evening Standard, published its last edition on Friday.

---

Are you having trouble getting hold of the Evening Standard? Email us at BBC London