The survey shows many UK residents have seen firearms

Of the 1,000 people interviewed, 81% said they feared imported guns were ending up on British streets.

The survey, for the Control Arms campaign group, found almost one in six of those questioned had seen a gun that they understood to be illegal.

The group is calling on governments to agree tough controls on the arms trade.

UK government officials attend a UN conference on light weapons next week.

The Control Arms campaign is run by three organisations - Oxfam, Amnesty International and the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA).

The survey's results suggest 86% of UK people want stricter international controls on weapons exports.

'Instilling fear'

"The easy availability of guns is causing death, destruction and instilling fear across the world and this threat is also strongly felt in the UK," said Barbara Stocking, director of Oxfam in Britain.

"Our research clearly shows that people want stricter arms controls to protect themselves and people in other countries.

"It is about time that governments took heed and agreed to regulate arms exports."

According to the campaigners, 1,000 people are killed every day around the world as a result of armed violence.

Control Arms is calling on governments to agree to adopt tough controls on the arms trade through an international arms trade treaty, ahead of next week's UN conference in New York.

Amnesty International UK director Kate Allen said: "With the world awash with guns, it's little wonder that people in the UK are scared of foreign weapons winding up on our streets, putting their lives in danger.

"We need tough controls on the arms trade, and next week the UK government has a real chance to make this happen."