The Olympic Games will cost the UK economy £1.6billion in lost output from employees watching it on TV while at work, it is claimed.

Over the 15 days of the games, the average employee will tune in for a total six hours, suggesting a loss of 126m working hours, at average pay of £12.75 an hour, according to a poll by Opinium for spread-betting firm Sporting Index.

On average men expected to be distracted for 27 minutes a day and women for 22 minutes.

The survey also calculated that the public was set to lose 302m hours of sleep tuning in to overnight events in Rio.