However, the Independent.co.uk declined to comment on whether the publication of its ABCe figures would be postponed until after the relaunch.

Bill Swanson, general manager of Independent's New Ventures division, said the Web site will be relaunched before Christmas, but refused to specify whether this would be accompanied with the site's ABCe figures, according to Brand Republic.

According to Brand Republic, the Independent was the final broadsheet among the national newspapers to sign up to be audited by ABC Electronic.

Guardian Unlimited, Times Online, Thesun.co.uk, Telegraph.co.uk and The Daily Mail online, published its first ABCe figures in July this year. Now they all report their unique users figure reports produced by ABCe on a monthly basis.