The UK's broadband providers have been threatened with legislation to compel them to do more to prevent illegal file sharing.

Lord Triesman, the parliamentary under secretary for innovation, universities and skills, warned ISPs that if they do not come up with voluntary arrangements to clamp down on software piracy, regulations will be introduced to force them to do so, Ispreview.com reports.

He said: "For the most part I think there are going to be successful voluntary schemes between the creative industries and ISPs. Our preferred position is that we shouldn't have to regulate.

"We have some simple choices to make. If creative artists can't earn a living as a result of the work they produce, then we will kill off creative artists and that would be a tragedy."

News of the Lord Triesman's comments come as Alan Ellis, an IT consultant suspected of running Oink - a popular pirate music website - was arrested yesterday on charges of on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and copyright infringement.