A major contraceptive breakthrough could radically change how we manage birth control as soon as five years from now.

British scientists have discovered a fast-acting peptide that temporarily immobilises sperm and raises the possibility of a male pill, implant - or even a nasal spray - being available by 2021.

"The results are startling - and almost instant," lead researcher, Wolverhampton University's Professor John Howl, told the The Mail On Sunday. "When you take healthy sperm and add our compound, within a few minutes the sperm basically cannot move."

Male contraceptive pill (and nasal spray) could be here by 2021