From 10 February Independent readers in Wales Scotland, Ireland and southwest England will only be able to buy the compact edition.

Independent circulation and marketing director David Green said that sales of the compact continued to climb.

The tabloid will be the main edition. Up until now we have sold about equal numbers of the two [editions], but the compact will be over 50% now, said Green.

However, Green said that it was too early to say if the broadsheet edition would be ditched altogether.

Its about consumer choice. Its not too much of a problem as Mirror Colour can produce both for us, said Green.

The Independent was the first national broadsheet to opt for the reduced size format, and it launched a tabloid-only Saturday edition at the end of January. Mirror Colour Print (MCP) prints the Independent at its plants in Watford, Oldham and Cardonald.

Story by John Davies