Britons 'want terror policy change'

Four out of five Britons want Tony Blair to split from George Bush in the "war on terror", according to a new poll.

They want the Prime Minister to either go it alone or work more closely with Europe.

Only 8% of those questioned by YouGov said the US and UK were winning the battle against Muslim fundamentalism. The survey, conducted for The Spectator magazine, also found that the majority of Britons want police to be given more time to detain suspects during terror investigations.

Some 69% said the police should be able to hold suspects for up to 90 days without charge, rather than the present 28-day limit.

When asked whether Britain should change its foreign policy in response to terrorism, only 12% said it should be more conciliatory.

This compared with 53% who thought it should become more "aggressive" and 24% who wanted no change.

Less people appeared to agree with US foreign policy as only 14% believed that Mr Blair should continue to align himself with the US President.

Seventy-three per cent agreed with the statement "that the West is in a global war against Islamic terrorists who threaten our way of life".

Some 60% thought the war on terror would continue for at least 10 years, with 44% of those believing it could last up to 20 years.

Opinions were divided on the British Muslim community as 50% said "most are moderate" while 28% disagreed with the statement and 22% did not know.