London Lite, capital's first free evening paper, closes today

The London Lite newspaper will close today. It became the first free evening paper in the capital when it was launched in August 2006.

The Lite, which is owned by Associated Newspapers, shared a newsroom with the Evening Standard.

Steve Auckland, managing director of Associated Newspapers' Free Division, said: "It's a very sad day for all those involved and I'd like to thank the editorial, merchandising, distribution and commercial teams for producing a brilliantly-targeted publication."

Another free newspaper, thelondonpaper, owned by News International, closed in September. The two papers each distributed more than 400,000 copies every weekday but were placed under strain by the downturn.

The London Lite's parent company, Daily Mail & General Trust, owns a 24.9 per cent stake in the Evening Standard.