The YouGov poll showed that 54 percent of those polled backed the decision to go to war, a fall of five percent on a similar survey carried out five days ago.

Of those interviewed 40 percent said the campaign was wrong -- an increase of five percent from the previous poll.

YouGov questioned 923 people in a telephone poll conducted on Tuesday evening for ITV news.

Out of those polled, 78 percent said Britain should continue the war until Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was defeated, while 14 percent said Britain should withdraw from the coalition immediately.

Asked what they thought of Prime Minister Tony Blair's handling of the Iraq crisis, 12 percent said excellent, 43 percent good, 28 percent poor, 15 percent very poor.

Thirty-seven percent agreed that the number of British casualties was remarkably low, 41 percent thought they were worrying but bearable, while 19 percent said they were unbearably high.

Asked about Iraqi civilian casualties -- the United States has come under severe criticism for the mounting civilian death toll - 35 percent said they were remarkably low, 36 percent worrying but bearable and 23 percent unbearably high.

SPACE.WIRE