The scale of the difficulties faced by Independent Newspapers with its now wholly-owned London Independent have been illustrated by official figures showing further sharp falls in the Independent's daily sales.

Figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations show that the Independent had average daily sales of 234,043 in the six months to the end of June, compared to average sales of 259,661 for the same period a year ago. The monthly figures show that the Independent had average daily sales of 215,676 in March compared to 216,488 in February.

The Independent on Sunday reported a 3.4 per cent rise in circulation to 256,179 in the six months to the end of March although the circulation of the Sunday title is still well down on 279,053 a year ago.

Independent Newspapers paid £29 million sterling last month for the 54 per cent of the Independent it did not own, and said that it aimed to invest £10 million in the editorial product over the next five years to stem the falling circulation and push sales back up towards the 400,000 the Independent enjoyed at its peak. The Murdoch-owned Times is seen as the main target in this push to rebuild circulation.