Three quarters of Swiss people support banning the burqa in all public places, a study has shown.

Three in four Swiss support an initiative to ban all face coverings in public - which would effectively ban the Muslim veil.

A survey of 1,167 people conducted by two Swiss Sunday papers found 76 per cent of those spoken to were in favor of the initiative.

This was compared with 20 per cent who disagreed and three per cent who said they had 'no view' on the issue.

Three in four Swiss support an initiative to ban all face coverings in public - which would effectively ban the Muslim veil

The initiative 'Yes to a ban on face coverings' garnered more than the required 100,000 signatures last September to put the decision to a popular vote, reports The Local.

This put the initiative on the ballot under Switzerland's system of direct democracy, which lets voters decide major policy issues.

The measure was proposed by a group including MPs from the nationalist Swiss People's Party that was also behind a ban on building minarets in Switzerland.

The group called for it to be made illegal for anyone to cover their face in public. Some exceptions include local custom, the weather and health and safety reasons.

A survey of 1,167 people conducted by two Swiss Sunday papers found 76 per cent of those spoken to were in favor of the initiative

Such a law would mean the effective ban of the hijab, niqab and burka, although the committee says it is also targeting hooligans who cover their face for criminal intent.

The Swiss government has publicly opposed the idea, saying it's up to each of the 26 cantons (areas) to legislate on the issue.

The issue has been argued over in Swiss society for many years, with the senate rejecting a draft bill on the topic in March after the lower house approved it.

It was also rejected by the people of Glarus canton during an open-air assembly this May.

Such a law would mean the effective ban of the hijab, niqab and burka, although the committee says it is also targeting hooligans who cover their face for criminal intent. Pictured: One of the Swiss People's Party's posters in the referendum which resulted in a ban on the construction of minarets

But the canton of Ticino, in the south of the country, overwhelmingly backed a regional ban of the burka and other full-face coverings in public in 2013.

However, in December it controversially proposed a counter-project suggesting it be made illegal to force anyone to cover their face.

If the ban goes through, it would put Switzerland alongside France, Austria and other European countries in prohibiting face-covering garments.

The vote is unlikely to take place before 2019.