On 27 October 2009, Associated Newspapers announced that it had entered into negotiation with staff over the future of the paper.
It was initially available only between 11:30 am and 2:30 pm from Evening Standard vendors and in the central area, but was later handed out by its own street distributors.
Celebrity gossip was given more coverage than international news and the Lite also reported in detail the incidents of violent crime in the capital.
Westminster City Council estimated that free newspapers made up a quarter of all rubbish in the West End,[3] much of which went un-recycled, although some stations positioned recycling bins at entrances and exits for this purpose.
The Evening Standard saw a gap in the market, and decided to make its publication free less than one month later, on 12 October 2009.