THE Dorset Echo is celebrating being the best performing Newsquest daily website for five months of the year.

The paper’s website dorsetecho.co.uk increased its unique users by 25.7 per cent on last year.

Dorset Echo online was the best performing paper for May, June, September, October and November.

It comes after the website has seen fundamental changes this year including adding more breaking news stories and increasing the number of stories uploaded.

More and more readers are also accessing the website using their mobile phones and tablet computers.

Now the site is the first place to go for readers who want breaking news, community events, local videos, traffic and weather information as well as jobs and classified adverts.

Alongside this the paper’s Twitter feed @dorsetecho and its Facebook page is driving increased users to the website.

The latest news and events for the 2012 Olympic sailing events is also popular on the dorsetecho.co.uk/olympics page.

Group editor Toby Granville said: “I am really pleased with the success and the increase in readers of the website in 2011.

“By adding more breaking news we are showing that the Dorset Echo truly is a 24/7 news operation where readers can rely on finding their news first.”

This year the high profile chase for the armed robber Colin Douglas was widely followed online and the story was one of the most popular published online in 2011.

Footage of the Titanic II sinking in West Bay was the most popular story for the whole year, shortly followed by a story about a rare roll cloud – which looked like a tornado – above Portland.

The website also features the latest in job adverts, classified adverts and all the latest entertainment news across Dorset.

Readers can recommend stories on Facebook or retweet them on Twitter at the click of a button.

Events listed in the events calendar can also be shared in the same way and for free.

Readers can also comment on various stories across the site including national stories updated throughout the day.