Scientists are becoming more confident they will be able to contradict Einstein's assertion that nothing can travel faster than light, after carrying out another test.

Italian physicists first made the startling claim in September but have now repeated an adapted version of their experiment, which produced the same result.

The test suggests sub-atomic particles called neutrinos can break the barrier.

If such tests can be repeated, they would challenge one of the fundamental assumptions of modern physics - Albert Einstein's 1905 theory of special relativity which states that nothing can travel faster than a light beam in a vacuum, a speed of 168,282 miles per second.