An exclusive five-year contract to distribute the free Metro daily newspaper in London and the South East has been secured by Swindon-based specialist distribution group Smiths News.
Under the agreement, which takes effect from next February, Smiths News will deliver around 200m copies of the five-day-a-week title a year. 
As the Metro is a free publication there will be no incremental sales value, however Smiths News will receive a distribution fee.
Smiths News has already secured around £15m of new revenues for the early part of its 2014 financial year, including gains from Trinity Mirror in Liverpool and Newcastle.
The group said this supported its ability to maintain current levels of profitability in the newspaper distribution division of the group, which also includes a book wholesaling business and Trowbridge-based The Consortium, which supplies schools with educational equipment.
Group chief executive Mark Cashmore said: “This announcement clearly demonstrates our ability to extend the scope of Smiths News’ activities by winning one of the largest free title distribution contracts in the UK.
“We are pleased with early progress and we continue to trade in line with our expectations.”
