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Islamophobia has gone mainstream, with liberal, middle class voters also expressing anti-Muslim views an anti-racist group has argued.

People continue to see Muslims overwhelmingly more negatively than any other religious group according to research with 31% of the population believing that Islam poses a threat to the British way of life.

Some 18% of people have an extremely negative view of Muslims according to a poll by anti-racist group Hope Not Hate.

There’s a general decrease in the share of people who see Islam as a serious threat to Western civilisation.

(Image: Barcroft Media via Getty)

44% agree, down from 52% in our 2017 Fear and HOPE poll, alongside a decrease in concern about islamist extremism.

But there’s also a huge age gap in perceptions of Muslims.

Only 8% of 18-24 year olds see Muslims extremely negatively compared to 22% of all people aged over 50.

Conservative Leave voters are among those with the highest proportion who see Muslims very negatively (26%).

A huge 44% of Conservative voters see Islam as a threat, with only half that amount (22%) saying it is compatible.

A total of 6,118 adults were polled by YouGov between 26th April - 1st May 2019.

Rosie Carter, senior policy officer and report co-author for Hope Not Hate, said: “Anti-Muslim hatred has long been a serious problem on the right but it is now increasingly spanning the political spectrum.

"This is a cancer that will only get worse if people don't stand up against it, whether that's politicians, the media or anyone else. We all have our part to play in countering Islamophobia."