Work-time spent by football fans keeping up-to-date with injury scares and team news during the World Cup could cost the UK economy as much as £40bn, employment law specialist Brabners Chaffe Street warns.

The figure was calculated by assuming employees spend an hour a day surfing the Internet and multiplying that by an average hourly wage of £12.50.

Employment law specialist Joe Shelston at Brabners Chaffe Street said: “Allowing some Internet use, while clamping down on inappropriate or excessive use, might strike the balance needed to ensure high morale without damaging your business.”