Struggling Leicester's Premiership worries were eased by their England stars as they beat Bristol 31-18.

Early tries from Ellis Genge and Jonny May either side of two Callum Sheedy penalties put Leicester in control before George Ford got a third.

Dan Thomas' score and a stunning Piers O'Conor try in the space of two minutes worried the hosts after the break.

But a Ford penalty and a late second try from England winger May saw the Tigers get their first bonus point.

The victory - just Leicester's second of the season - sees Geordan Murphy's side move on to 11 points, level with third-from-bottom Wasps and 23 points ahead of Saracens before their game with Worcester.

Leicester came out with great intensity and took just two minutes to force Genge over after multiple phases on the Bristol line.

The visitors then had two players sin-binned - Jordan Lay for a high tackle and Alapati Leiua for a deliberate knock-on - as the Tigers impressed with ball in hand.

May's try came after a lovely flowing move inside their own half, which saw Telusa Veainu break clear before feeding the England winger, who raced down the right flank and in under the posts.

Ford wrong-footed Chris Vui as he jinked through from 25 metres out for Leicester's third try after 25 minutes, while Bristol failed to capitalise on good field position in the final moments as the hosts led by 15 points at the break.

But home nerves were shredded early in the second period by two quick tries.

First Thomas went over following a maul after a five-metre line-out. Seconds later, O'Conor's stunning score came after a lovely jinking run from Sheedy seven metres from his own try-line that saw him make it to half way. He kicked forward for O'Conor to beat Jordan Olowefela to the bounce and go in at the corner.

Bristol continued to play some excellent flowing rugby, but they could not find a way past a Leicester side whose only other Premiership win came over Gloucester on 2 November.

Ford's 53rd-minute penalty eased the pressure before another super flowing break saw Veainu again feed May, whose pace took him into the corner.

Leicester: Veainu; Olowofela, Taute, Eastmond, May; Ford, B. Youngs; Genge, T. Youngs (c), Cole, Lavanini, Green, Wells, Taufua, Kalamafoni

Replacements: Polota-Nau, Bateman, Leatigaga, Thompson, Reffell, Harrison, Reid, Worth

Bristol: C. Piutau; Fricker, O'Conor, Hurrell, Leiua; Sheedy, Randall; Lay, Thacker, Afoa, Vui, Holmes, Luatua (c), Thomas, Hughes.

Replacements: Capon, Woolmore, Lahiff, Attwood, Heenan, Stirzaker, Madigan, Morahan