Life on Earth will continue for up to three billion years but humans will die out far sooner, scientists have said.

Researchers say that our planet's increasing proximity to the sun will eventually result in soaring temperatures, the seas drying up and the extinction of all life.

But according to a study by the University of East Anglia, in Norwich, man-made climate change will make human life impossible long before this happens and our best chance of survival would be to relocate to another planet, with Mars being the best option.

Andrew Rushby, from the university's school of environmental sciences, said: "We estimate that Earth will cease to be habitable somewhere between 1.75 and 3.25 billion years from now. After this point, Earth will be in the 'hot zone' of the sun, with temperatures so high that the seas would evaporate. We would see a catastrophic and terminal extinction event for all life.

"Of course conditions for humans and other complex life will become impossible much sooner, and this is being accelerated by anthropogenic climate change. Humans would be in trouble with even a small increase in temperature, and near the end only microbes in niche environments would be able to endure the heat."

"If we ever needed to move to another planet, Mars is probably our best bet. It's very close and will remain in the habitable zone until the end of the sun's lifetime."