Very hot drinks probably cause cancer, an agency of the World Health Organisation has announced.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said very hot drinks - those 65C and above - probably causes cancer of the oesophagus.

They ruled there was "no conclusive evidence" that coffee itself causes cancer, or mate - a herbal and caffeine-rich tea, typically enjoyed in South American countries - causes cancer at very hot temperatures.

In 1991, the IARC said coffee was linked to bladder cancer, but analysed over 500 new cases and found drinking coffee had no carcinogenic effects for cancers of the pancreas, prostate and female breast.

Cancers of the liver and womb were reduced, while for more than 20 other common cancers, the evidence was deemed inadequate.

However, the IARC said it could not prove coffee was totally safe - only that it is unlikely to cause certain cancers.

Bill Murray, the National Coffee Association president said: "This finding is great news and highly significant for coffee drinkers and confirms evidence from an avalanche of studies by highly respected and independent scientists."

Here are some questions about the findings:

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, who are an agency of the World Health Organisation.

The group of 23 international experts found "no conclusive evidence" that drinking coffee causes cancer - but added drinking hot beverages "probably" causes cancer.

Drinks over the temperature of 65C are considered hot, however research has suggested the British public prefer temperatures between 56-60C.

The oesophagus is the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach. Cancer can develop in any part of the oesophagus.

Around 8,750 have been diagnosed with oesophagus cancer in the UK, and has become more common in the last four decades.