The Times and Sunday Times have recorded their first operating profit – £1.7m for the year ending 30 June 2014 – since 2001, according to News UK.

The figure, which was released at a media briefing this morning, is up from a loss of nearly £6m last year and a loss of more than £70m five years ago.

The publisher also revealed that The Times now has 152,000 digital subscribers, up 8 per cent year on year from 141,000, and The Sunday Times 154,000 up 12 per cent year on year from 138,000.