Women are catching up with men when it comes to logging on to the internet, according to research.Figures from the Office of National Statistics show a steady increase in the number of people using the internet in Britain.

But the number of women using the web leapt 12% on last year compared with a minimal change in figures for men.

The results of the Expenditure and Food Survey (EFS) showed an estimated 9.7 million households could access the internet from home between July and September 2001.