Advertising spend via the internet has overtaken print for the first time, a new study reveals.

According to research by the Internet Advertising Bureau, some £2.01 billion was spent in the industry over the course of 2006, a rise of 41.2 per cent compared to the previous year.

The report claimed: "Advertisers are continuing to switch more of their budgets online to build their brands and interact with their customers.

"With consumers now enjoying even faster broadband and installing wireless routers in their homes, the growth of online advertising in the UK is set to continue unabated."

Paid search advertising was reported to have driven growth, rising by 52 per cent to £1.2 billion of the total spend.

Use of display advertising such as skyscrapers and banners had also risen during 2006.

However, the proportion of spend on pop-up marketing decreased by more than a third to account for some 0.7 per cent of Britain's total online advertising budget.

Earlier this month, a study by Avenue A / Razorfish claimed targeting internet users between 18 and 24 years of age could be vital for online firms as consumers in this age group "live and breathe the internet".