Cutting the use of pirated software by just 10 per cent would contribute an extra £4.5bn to the UK economy and create more than 13,000 jobs, according to analyst IDC.

The proportion of illegal applications in use in this country has remained at 27 per cent for three years, despite the concerted efforts of the Business Software Alliance (BSA), which commissioned the research.

Bootlegs are illegal, dangerous to users and a drain on the economy, said BSA committee chairwoman Julie Strawson.

“Because of the support and training that go hand in hand with selling software, the sector creates jobs,” she said.

“And companies have to understand the serious risks of using pirated versions ­ malware is rife, there will not be adequate technical support and there are reputational issues.”

The government is trying to tackle the problem.

Earlier this month, formal consultation started on the changes to copyright legislation put forward in the 2006 Gowers Review.

Proposals include extending prison sentences for software copyright infringement from two to 10 years.

Globally the UK is far down the offender league table. China has a 90 per cent illegal software rate, second only to Vietnam.

And IDC estimates that China could triple the size of its technology sector by cracking down on the problem, creating as many jobs in four years as the US has in the past 30.