Briton, February 01: A third of Britons want to see an outright ban on the burka, according to a poll.
And two thirds believe it should be illegal to wear a burka in places such as banks and airports.
France has been considering a ban on the burka and the issue has caused controversy when it has been raised in the UK.
A ComRes poll of 1,000 people for today’s Independent found that six out of 10 oppose a ban on wearing it in all public places.
Some 52 per cent disagreed with the proposition that there should be no legal restrictions on wearing a burka, while 43 per cent agreed.
Asked whether it should be illegal to wear a burka in any public place, 36 per cent agreed and 59 per cent disagreed. Some 64 per cent believe that it should be illegal to wear a burka in places such as banks and airports, while 33 per cent disagree.
Around 60 per cent said schools should be allowed to prevent teachers wearing burkas.
The most striking variation of opinion is by age. Only 15 per cent of 18-24 year-olds believe that the burka should be banned in any public place, compared to 57 per cent of over-65s. Women are more opposed to restrictions than men.
UKIP is the only British party to call for a total ban, after the BNP called for it to be banned in schools.
Nigel Farage, who leads UKIP’s 13 MEPs in Brussels, claimed that burkas were a symbol of an ‘increasingly divided Britain’.
–Agencies–