The karaoke machine has been voted the most irritating invention in the UK. A government survey of 2,500 people, who were asked to name the most irritating inventions, put karaoke first but also included high on the list 24-hour TV sports channels, mobile telephones and alarm clocks.

The karaoke machine - now familiar as a coin-op product in many parts of the world - was invented in 1971 by Japanese musician Inoue Daisuke. Karaoke means ‘empty orchestra.’

A director of the British Inventors Society, Kane Kramer, commented: "Seeing karaoke at the top of the list made me smile. It is anti-social. You might have 10 people who want to sing some karaoke, which means 150 people have to suffer it."