The London Evening Standard grew its full-price sales numbers by 9,000 copies in October, a 4.85 percent year-on-year increase to 306,747 copies a day, according to the latest Audit Bureau of Circulations figures, out Friday, Press Gazette reported.

The evening paper, owned by Daily Mail & General Trust, has faced stiff competition from London freesheets since 2006, but also managed to post a 3.02 percent month-on-month increase last month.

Forty-two percent (128,087 copies) of this figure came from bulk sales and discounted copies distributed to airlines, hotels and trains, according to Press Gazette.

Meanwhile, Metro, Associated Newspaper's free morning paper, saw minor circulation increases in October, up 0.06 percent to 1,361,306 throughout the United Kingdom. Now, the title is 58,000 copies away from surpassing the Daily Mirror's circulation, Press Gazette reported, citing ABC figures.

City AM, a free financial paper in London, saw a rise in circulation of 0.11 percent year-on-year to 101,421, according to Press Gazette.

Two other free evening papers, London Lite and thelondonpaper, saw circulation of 401,494 copies and 500,614 copies, respectively, in October.

Media Guardian reported Friday that the Independent on Sunday saw its circulation drop for the third month in a row in October. The title's circulation fell 21.41 percent year-on-year to an average of 165,764, according to ABC figures. The month-on-month drop, from September to October, was by 9.18 percent. Media Guardian also noted that the title's rate of circulation decline is accelerating.