Subscription streaming services such as Netlfix and Spotify are being praised in the UK for aiding big reductions in online piracy.

The amount of people illegally accessing films, music and more was recorded at 15% between the months of March and May.

This was down from 18% a year ago, making it the lowest recorded rate in the five years that the research has been conducted.

The study commissioned by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) also found that 44% of internet users only used legal means when accessing entertainment online, up from 39% at the end of 2015.

Some 80% of music listeners now use legal means online, up from 74%, with 31% of all internet users now using streaming services.

The UK's Minister for Intellectual Property Baroness Neville Rolfe said:

"Online copyright infringement has been a running sore for the UK's creative industries for far too long.

"I am extremely pleased to see that there has been a decline in infringement and that consumers appear to be turning towards legitimate streaming en masse."