Sussex voters favour British troops staying in Iraq more than those in the rest of the country, according to a poll commissioned by a Brighton academic.

Sociology professor Colin Francome asked NOP to conduct the survey.

It asked whether British troops should pull out of Iraq by June 30, the planned date for transfer of sovereignty to an Iraqi administration.

The results show 47 per cent of people in Sussex think the troops should be sent home compared with 55 per cent of Britons nationally.

Thirty-one per cent think troops should stay compared with 28 per cent nationally and 22 per cent don't know, against 17 per cent nationally.

Prof Francome, 59, who paid £400 for the survey, was surprised by the results.

He said: "It seems more people in the Brighton area think troops should stay.

"I thought they would be more opposed to the war on average in Brighton because of all the anti-war demos.

"If you redistribute the 'don't knows', people in Sussex support the withdrawal of troops in Iraq by a majority of about three to two. Nationally, it's more like two to one."

The NOP survey was conducted between April 30 and May 2 as pictures were published which appeared to show British soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners.

It also followed an increase in attacks on coalition forces.

Other recent polls, published before the alleged abuses came to light, suggested most people wanted troops to stay in Iraq.

ICM reported last month that 51 per cent believed British and American troops should stay in Iraq for as long as necessary.

Prof Francome, who is also landlord of the Horse and Groom pub in Islingword Road, Brighton, thinks people are growing disenchanted with the Government's commitment to the war.

He said: "People were sold the war on the basis it would be temporary. Most do not want it to be a long commitment."

Prof Francome, an emeritus academic at Middlesex University, commissioned the survey for a book he is writing called The Terrorist Solution.