Nearly a third of people in the UK believe that religious freedoms have been restricted over the past decade, a new survey shows.

The poll, carried out by ComRes on behalf of the public theology think tank Theos, showed that 32 per cent of people believed that religious freedom had been weakened in the past 10 years. The poll accompanies a new Theos paper on religious freedom.

The poll also shows that 63 per cent of people believe that the law shouldn’t prevent people from expressing their beliefs in the workplace.

In the paper, called ‘Free to believe’, Professor Roger Trigg says that surveys “show that a majority of church-going Christians tend to think that religious freedom, both of speech and practice, is under threat”.

High-profile cases of believers being “persecuted” because of their Christian faith – such as the British Airways worker banned from wearing a cross around her neck – have led to many to question Britain’s commitment to religious tolerance, the research indicates.

Professor Trigg, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Warwick, called for more respect to be given to the right of religious freedom when it clashed with secular rights and principles.

He wrote: “A free society should never be in the business of muzzling religious voices, let alone in the name of democracy or feigned neutrality.”

The professor added: “We also betray our heritage and make our present position precarious if we value freedom, but think that the Christian principles which have inspired the commitment of many to democratic ideals are somehow dispensable.”

Professor Trigg also lamented the detrimental effect of the ‘equality’ agenda on religious liberty.

He said: “The right to manifest a religion is considered so unimportant in the face of the “equality agenda” that merely expressing an opinion can become harassment.

“The pursuit of “equality” is rated more highly than religious freedom. Yet we dare not give up a burning desire to protect such freedom, since it lies at the heart of all freedom.”

High-profile cases of Christians being penalised for their faith have caused many people to question the limits of religious tolerance in the UK.