The number of distilleries in the UK has increased by a fifth in the last year amid a sudden popularity in artisan gin, a new report shows.

And Cumbria is among those, with the county boasting three distilleries.

Accountancy group UHY Hacker Young revealed that nationally there are now more than 130 distilleries, double the number in 2012.

The value of gin sales has increased significantly over recent years, exceeding £1 billion in 2016 and is expected to rise to £1.37 billion by 2020 as gin continues to undergo a "renaissance."

James Simmonds, of UHY Hacker Young, said: "Five years ago, artisan gin was a relatively unknown product, but now it's very common to see five or 10 different premium gins on the menu or on a supermarket shelf.

"Premium gins often retail at around £30 a bottle, making it a high-margin industry.

"Gin can be very versatile - with many companies adding new and unusual flavourings to their products.

"This means that new producers can differentiate themselves relatively easily in comparison to other spirit producers such as whisky."

Among those producing in Cumbria is Vince Wilkins, who set up Spirit of the Lakes at Braithwaite near Keswick in 2008, with a mission to create an easy-drinking gin.

Bedrock Gin, made with Cumbrian kiln-dried oak bark, was the result.

Last year it was the only English gin to win gold in the London-based International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC).

The judges said it was an “exceptional example of a London Dry Gin, with profound juniper and a persistent citrus quality – a lovely lingering finish”.

Asked why he wanted to make gin, Vince said: "Back in 2008 the gin market wasn’t very vibrant. A lot of the brands had been around for a long time.

"Gin had that 'mother’s ruin' image: strongly perfumed with very dominant juniper.

"I wanted to make something that was fresh and different and smooth."

He continued: "We worked with the late Peter McKay, a master distiller from Langley in the West Midlands. He did a great job for us.

"We wanted it to be citrussy and easy-drinking, and we played around with a number of mixes and blends.

"He had the knowledge and ability to create a recipe that was exactly what we wanted. We haven’t changed it because it is winning awards worldwide."