Aberdeen's Press and Journal pulled off that rare thing in the regional newspaper market – boosting sales in the first half of 2012 and cementing its position as the biggest selling Scottish regional daily.

The DC Thomson-owned title grew circulation by 1.3% compared to the last six months of last year to 68,659.

This represents a 3.4% year-on-year drop, according to the latest Audit Bureau of Circulations figures published on Wednesday.

The Press and Journal has a 99.2% paid-for circulation, managing to boost the sold copy element from 67,218 to 68,119, no mean feat in what was otherwise a pretty tough market for regional daily titles in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Belfast Telegraph also managed to increase circulation, albeit marginally at 0.1% period on period to 53,847. Year on year the title fell 9.2%.

However, the Independent News & Media-owned title's rise does not represent an increase in its paid-for circulation base.

The paid for copy base has slipped from 79.5% of total circulation, 42,761 in the last audited report, to 79.2% or 42,359 copies.

In Scotland, DC Thomson's Dundee Evening Telegraph fell 4.8% year on year and 1.8% period on period to 22,496.

DC Thomson has boosted the paid-for sales proportion of its circulation from about 80% in the last audited period, to more than 99% now.

Newsquest's Glasgow Evening Times fell by 12.3% year on year and 6.4% period on period to 45,942.

In Wales, Trinity Mirror's South Wales Echo fell 7.9% year on year and 2.7% period on period to 30,178.

Northcliffe Media's South Wales Evening Post, the biggest-selling daily title in Wales, fell 8.8% year on year and 4.5% period on period to 36,623.

The Leader in Wrexham, Flintshire and Chester, owned by North Wales Newspapers, fell 5.1% year on year and 1.2% period on period to 15,314.