Fewer Britons calling for Afghanistan troop withdrawal - poll

(Corrects number of British soldiers killed in para 5)

By Avril Ormsby

LONDON, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Hundreds of people took to London's streets on Saturday demanding that British troops be brought home from Afghanistan but an opinion poll showed fewer Britons were calling for an immediate return.

The YouGov poll, to be broadcast on Channel 4 News, showed that while 62 percent of Britons wanted British troops home immediately or within the next year or so, the percentage of those making those demands had remained static or even dropped during the past two years.

Those wanting British troops returned in the near-term remained static at 37 percent while the number wanting an immediate withdrawal dropped three points to 25 percent, with a three percent margin of error.

The drop is surprising bearing in mind the rising number of British casualties in the eight-year, U.S.-led campaign against Taliban insurgents, with the bloodiest months occurring in the run-up to presidential elections that were found to have been deeply flawed.

A total of 222 British troops have been killed there since 2001.

The military campaign has also been blighted by a public spat between the government and some military figures over troop levels and equipment.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who said this month an extra 500 troops could be sent to Afghanistan, boosting the total to 9,500, may be reassured by the poll.

But the vast majority of those questioned, 84 percent, believed British troops were losing the war, with 48 percent believing victory was impossible -- up 12 percent on two years ago.

Earlier this month, the British army's new commander, General David Richards, wrote in a letter to the Telegraph newspaper that the war was winnable, saying international and Afghan forces had the "strategy and resolve".

He told the BBC on Friday that British troop numbers could be scaled back in five years as the Afghan army is strengthened, though some will have to stay behind in a support role, without putting a figure on the length of time.

Richard courted controversy in August when he said Britain could be involved in Afghanistan for another "30 to 40 years."

Hundreds of people were on London's streets in support of a Stop the War Bring the Troops Home demonstration, led by a British soldier who faces court martial because he refuses to return to fight in Afghanistan.

The poll also found that 36 percent of the 2,040 adults quizzed this month thought that while British troops were not winning yet, victory was possible eventually.

Coalition forces are currently reviewing their strategy, with U.S. President Barack Obama considering a military recommendation to boost his force with a further reported 40,000 troops to beyond 100,000 next year.

(Editing by Angus MacSwan)