‘Independent’ print titles to close as ‘i’ is sold

has confirmed that it is ending print production following the sale of its newspaper.

which launched in 1986, will print its last daily title on March 26. The last

will be on March 20. The paper’s publishing group, ESI Media, said that the move will have no bearing on publication of sister title the London

The end of its print national titles follows the sale of the newspaper, a budget tabloid that made £5.2m profit last year, to Johnston Press for £24m.

“The newspaper industry is changing, and that change is being driven by readers,” owner Evgeny Lebedev said.

“They’re showing us that the future is digital,” he added. “This decision preserves the Independent brand and allows us to continue to invest in the high quality editorial content that is attracting more and more readers to our online platforms.” Johnston Press, which owns

and said that it would get the bulk of the content from independent.co.uk under licence, as well as some content from the London Only 25 out of 150 staff will be kept on by Johnston Press.

Staff at have received a letter telling them of potential job reductions as part of a push to slash around £54m – 20pc – in costs.