ALMOST three-quarters of Britons support a change in the law on the right to die, an opinion poll has found.

The poll comes as the controversial issue rears its head at Holyrood, with the late MSP Margo MacDonald's Bill to legalise assisted suicide, and more imminently at Westminster, where MPs are due to vote on it.

The ComRes poll of more than 2,000 adults across the UK for ITV's Tonight programme last night found that 70 per cent would support allowing assisted dying under the measures proposed in the Assisted Dying Bill being promoted by former lord chancellor Lord Falconer of Thoroton.

The legislation, which will have its second reading debate in the Lords on Friday, would enable people with six months to live to be given assistance to end their life, as long as two doctors approved.

The poll found that 70 per cent would support allowing assisted dying under those rules, with 12 per cent disagreeing and 18 per cent saying they did not know.

Just ten per cent said they would oppose allowing assisted suicide under these rules, with 73 per cent disagreeing.

But some 47 per cent said they believed legalising assisted suicide would "inevitably" lead to some vulnerable people opting to end their lives to avoid becoming a burden.