Starting from June this year, readers would have to pay a subscription £2 per week to access the online edition of The Times and The Sunday Times, an announcement from News International, the owner of both the brands, unveiled on Friday.

Unlike the present free access website, readers would need to access two different sites, Thetimes. co. uk and Thesundaytimes. co. uk, for the two newspapers separately, the company added. However, the £2 subscription fee includes access for both the sites.

Expected to be launched in May, both sites will offer a limited free trial period to its existing subscribers.

The company has also offered a daily scheme under which a reader would be required to pay a charge of £1 for a day's access. But for £2, the user, apart from getting access for a week, could also access some other applications.

Chief Executive of News International, Rebekah Brooks said that this was a crucial step for the company as it's a move in the direction of "making the business of news an economically exciting proposition."

New York Times and News Corp have already suggested creating pay walls to make money asnd the advertising revenues have declined during the previous few quarters.