Britain more liberal but many still take dim view of homosexuality

But the British Social Attitudes study found that more than a third of people still believe homosexual sex is "always" or "mostly" wrong.

This figure still shows a breakthrough in comparison to people's attitudes in the 1980s when in 1983 some 62 per cent of those quizzed said homosexual sex was wrong.

The UK has also become far more tolerant of unmarried couples who live together.

Some 45 per cent of those questioned said it "makes no difference to children whether their parents are married to each other or just living together". Only 38 per cent of people expressed this view in 1998.

Andy Ross author of the report said: "Changing attitudes reflect a complex combination of factors. In general, we are becoming more liberal and tolerant. But our attitudes are also strongly shaped by what we see in our daily lives.

"This is why people in their 60s and older have become more tolerant than we might expect about issues like cohabitation.

"Perhaps the personal experience of becoming a grandparent of a child born outside marriage might be leading older people to take a more liberal view on this issue."