Nottingham & Long Eaton Topper

It’s published by Topper Newspapers Ltd and was founded in 1995 by Lionel Pickering, also famous as the owner of Derby County FC from 1991 to 2003.

In August 2011 the trust that managed the Topper announced that it was in talks with Northcliffe Media, then the regional publishing wing of the Daily Mail & General Trust and publishers of rival title the Nottingham Post, over a possible takeover of the Topper. The Office of Fair Trading twice postponed announcement of a decision on whether it would allow the takeover to proceed, before finally confirming at the end of May 2012 that it could go ahead. The sale was finalised a month later. Northcliffe rebutted NUJ fears that it would simply close the Topper, saying that it intended to make it into a sustainable business. (Northcliffe are now part of the Local World media group created at the end of 2012.)

Until its takeover it claimed to be the largest independent weekly freesheet in Great Britain, with an audited circulation of well over 200,000 copies delivered each week as of 2011. It still claims on its website to be the largest freesheet in the UK, although its circulation has dropped to just over 170,000 since the takeover.

The editorial offices were in West Bridgford prior to the takeover, but have now moved to Nottingham city centre.

It comes out on Wednesdays. The latest edition can also be viewed online as an e-edition.