MORE than four in 10 Britons think cannabis should be legal, research funded by a Swindon organisation shows.

The Economic and Social Research Council, based in North Star, backed the study by the National Centre for Social Research.

The council is the UK's largest funding agency for research into social and economic issues, while NatCen is the country's largest social research institute.

A total of 1,000 people in England and Wales and 1,600 in Scotland were asked for their opinions on drug issues.

Although 41 per cent said cannabis should be legalised compared to 12 per cent 20 years ago only eight per cent said adults should be allowed to use any drug they wished.

The researchers found liberal attitudes to the legalisation of cannabis were not confined to any part of society.

Study leader Nina Stratford said: "It is a society-wide phenomenon affecting all ages and social backgrounds."

But the majority are firmly against blanket legalisation for present illegal drugs.

Two thirds were aged between 18 and 34 said they had a friend or family member who had used illegal drugs, while half admitted having tried them themselves.