Opposition to fox hunting remains at an all-time high, a new survey has revealed, with 85 per cent in support of maintaining the current ban.

The poll, commissioned by the League Against Cruel Sports and carried out by Ipos Mori, also found that 90 per cent were opposed to hare hunting and coursing.

The law, introduced by Labour in 2004, bans the use of dogs to hunt foxes and other wild mammals in England and Wales.

The League Against Cruel Sports adds that opposition to fox hunting has steadily grown in Britain. In 2008, just over 70 per cent were opposed. And in rural areas support for the ban remains high, at 81 per cent.

It comes ahead of the annual Boxing Day hunts that tend to draw thousands across the country. Last year the pro-hunt Countryside Alliance said there were “at least 250,000” gathering in “huge crowds from Cumbria to Cornwall”.

But the contentious issue was highlighted this year after Theresa May used the snap election to include a free vote for MPs on repealing the fox hunting ban in the Conservative manifesto – a pledge that appeared to be scrapped following the loss of her party’s majority at the election.

“As it happens, personally I have always been in favour of fox hunting, and we maintain our commitment ... to allow a free vote,” the Prime Minister said during the general election at a factory visit.

But the election highlighted the strength of feeling among the public on animal welfare issues – an area Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, has prioritised since he was appointed after June’s general election.

Corbyn on fox hunting: 'My government would not tolerate this kind of barbarity'

While the policy was not included in the Queen’s Speech, which outlined the legislative programme for the current parliamentary session of 2017 until 2019, it will be officially dropped in 2018, according to The Sunday Times.

A Downing Street source described the report as “pure speculation”, but added: “There is no vote that could change the current policy on fox hunting scheduled in this session of Parliament, which ends in 2019.”

Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 Show all 100 1 /100 Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 January 2014 Swimmers in fancy dress participate in the New Year's Day Looney Dook swim at South Queensferry, Scotland Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 January 2014 A car drives through flood water on the Somerset Levels near Langport in Somerset Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 January 2014 Ian Dawes, the 'Chief Boggan' (L) and Phil Coggan, the 'Lord', enjoy a drink before the Haxey Hood game which is played every year on Old Christmas Day, in the village of Haxey near Doncaster Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 January 2014 Mark Duggan's family, along with Duggan's aunt Carrol Duggan (R), make a statement outside the High Court in central London Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 January 2014 A young girl looks at flowers and candles laid by members of the public near to the house in Ferry Gait Crescent where 3 year-old Mikaeel Kular was reported missing in Kirkcaldy Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 January 2014 Sheep graze in a field covered by early morning frost in Bolton Percy in North Yorkshire Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 January 2014 The Houses of Parliament and the river Thames are shrouded in early morning fog Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 January 2014 Preventive conservation co-ordinator at Historic Royal Palaces Jonathan Bridal inspects the Rubens ceiling paintings for damage during a conditioning survey at Banqueting House in London Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 February 2014 Newhaven lighthouse is battered by waves as high winds from the lastest winter storm continue in Newhaven on the south coast of England Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 February 2014 Flight Lieutenant Andy Power of 617 Squadron the Dambusters hugs his daughter Jessica aged seven as he arrives back at RAF Lossiemouth from Afghanistan in Lossiemouth, Scotland Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 February 2014 A congested Trafalgar Square during rush hour Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 February 2014 A letter sent by First World War sailor David John Phillips that has found its way to his granddaughter after 97 years, thanks to a blog post by archivists in Orkney - and leads provided by members of the public Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 February 2014 Bodhi looks up at a model of a hedgehog, measuring 12 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 7 feet tall, on Clapham Common in south London to mark the launch of the second series of David Attenboroughís Natural Curiosities on UKTV's Watch channel Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 February 2014 Prince Charles wearing traditional Saudi uniform, dances with sword during the traditional Saudi dancing best known as 'arda' performed during Janadriya culture festival at Der'iya in Riyadh Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 February 2014 The northern lights as they are commonly known at Embleton Bay in Northumberland Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 March 2014 Choristers from Ely Cathedral choir and The Very Reverend Mark Bonney take part in traditional pancake races before evening song at the Cathedral in Cambridgeshire Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 March 2014 Crocuses bloom at The Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew in London Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 March 2014 Milie (9) releases a red, heart-shaped balloon in Parliament Square in front of the Houses of Parliament as a symbolic marking of the third anniversary of the Syrian conflict in London. 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The bright vision of environmentally friendly cities was unveiled by Arup, the engineering and design consultancy behind London's Garden Bridge project Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 March 2014 Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne speaks with CEO of Tata Steel Europe Karl Koehler during a visit to the Tata Steel works in Port Talbot, Wales Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 April 2014 Butterflies emerge from their chrysalises in the Natural History Museum's 'Sensational Butterflies' outdoor butterfly house in London Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 April 2014 Chelsea Pensioners Audrey Merton (L) Ron Ward (C) and Frank Treasure (R) react, during afternoon tea, at The Cavendish hotel in London Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 April 2014 Workers inspect one of the 30-storey Red Road residential blocks in north Glasgow Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 April 2014 People dressed as a 'Viking warrior-crew' sail along the River Thames near the Houses of Parliament in central London Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 April 2014 Bluebell flowers cover a woodland floor in Scunthorpe Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 April 2014 250 model lifeboats take to the River Thames in the RNLI's Alternative Boat Race to raise awareness and funds for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 April 2014 Prime Minster David Cameron sows poppy seeds with pupils from Cathedral Primary School in Soutwark in the Downing Street garden in London, to help launch the Royal British Legion's poppy campaign - whereby the RBL will send every school in the country free poppy seeds to plant with the aim of helping to raise childrens awareness of conflict Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 April 2014 Jean Paul Gaultier poses with a metre high mohican in the Punk Cancan section of 'The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk' at the Barbican Art Gallery in London Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 April 2014 Prince William and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge talk with members of the Maori welcome group at an official welcome on the grounds of Government House in Wellington Pictures of the year: UK News 2014 April 2014 Guests listen during a speech by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in honour of the President of Ireland Michael D. 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Chris Luffingham, the director of campaigns for the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “With 85 per cent of the public saying they do not want fox hunting made legal again, there has never been a better time to strengthen the Hunting Act and bring an end to the illegal persecution of wildlife still going under the guise of ‘trail hunting’.

“The realities of ‘trail hunting’ have been well and truly exposed this year and the extent to which foxes, hares and deer are still being chase and killed has really shocked people. Time and time again hunts are getting away with circumventing the law and that needs to stop.