Only 12 per cent of the 1,009 people questioned by an ICM poll published in the Guardian newspaper said the British troops' presence in Iraq was helping improve the situation and 51 per cent said Prime Minister Tony Blair's [Images] government should set a date for the withdrawal of the soldiers from Basra.

Also Read Britain to keep troops in Iraq: Minister Iraq intelligence misleading: British expert

Also, only 39 per cent were satisfied with Blair's work as prime minister compared with 47 per cent the previous month. Only 41 per cent of voters are persuaded by the prime minister's argument that troops have a duty to remain in the country until things improve, the poll said.

Blair said on Sunday that no arbitrary date should be set for withdrawal. In a BBC interview he said, "I have absolutely no doubt as to what we should do. We should stick with it."

But the poll, taken after last week's attack on British troops in Basra, shows that a clear majority, 64 per cent believe the situation in the country is worsening despite the presence of British forces. Just 12 per cent now share Blair's belief that British troops are actually helping improve the security situation.

Support for Britain's presence in Iraq appears to be dropping in the wake of repeated attacks on coalition forces and the growing prospect of civil war in the country. ICM interviewed a random sample of 1,009 adults aged 18 and above on September 23-24, 2005.