News International has claimed that thelondonpaper has already equalled the success of established free morning title, Metro in London.
Thelondonpaper editor Stefano Hatfield declined to be interviewed by Press Gazette, but Ian Clark, general manager of NI's free newspapers division, said in a statement: "We are very proud of what we have achieved.
"Our readers and advertisers are telling us we have a great product and in terms of circulation we have now reached over 500,000 on a number of days."
Referring to Associated's flagship morning freesheet Metro, Clark said: "In four months we have achieved what took Metro four years. It shows the opportunity that was there for a new entrant to the afternoon market in London."
Metro's London readership was an average of 548,007 in January's ABC figures and over one million nationally.
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