The Government plans to make anyone aiming to view porn online prove that they are over 18 years of age through new requirements for website owners.

The new laws will see adult website owners forced to block anyone unable to provide proof that they are over the age of 18, in a bid to crack down on children viewing pornographic websites, The Sunday Times has reported.

The system is expected to be similar to one used abroad, with credit card details or official records being provided those visiting pornographic websites in order to gain access. Sites that fail to comply with the measures will be blocked.

A statement from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, said: “We are legislating to put R18 material that can only be sold in licensed sex shops behind access controls on video-on demand services.

“The same protections should apply online as offline and we are clarifying the law to make sure that is the case — we want the legislation to be in place by the end of the year. No decision has been made about offshore sites.”

The proposal would follow Prime Minister David Cameron’s introduction of web filters by internet providers to block access to unsuitable material, and combat online child pornography.