Standard hit by permit problems on home turf

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The London Evening Standard's second day as a free newspaper did not go as smoothly as the first, after its distributors were forced off the streets of Kensington and Chelsea because they did not have correct permits.

A spokesman for the borough said: "We are having conversations with the Evening Standard about how they distribute their newspaper until they have more settled arrangements." He declined to comment further.

A Standard spokeswoman later confirmed the paper had "an issue with council permits", which had prevented copies being handed out on the streets. She added that "it has all been resolved now". It was the only borough in which the Standard faced permit problems, the spokeswoman said. It remains embarrassing for the group, however, as it is based just off High Street Kensington. Monday marked the Standard's first day as a free newspaper after its owner, Alexander Lebedev, decided to drop the 50p cover price and lift the print run to 600,000.