Just 49 per cent of those polled said that they were in favour of the bid, a figure which rises to 80 per cent across the whole of the country.

But 50 per cent of respondents said that they opposed Annecy's candidature.

The poll comes just a week after another poll carried out by Opinion Way suggested that support for the bid had increased to 67 per cent.

Annecy, considered the outsider in the race to host the 2018 event, is up against Munich and Pyeongchang, with the decision due at the International Olymipic Committee (IOC) Session in Durban on July 6.

It the latest blow to a bid that has struggled from the start.

Last week there were reports that Annecy are €2.5 million (£2.2 million/$3.6 million) short of their budget and struggling to compete against their better-funded rivals.

The French media claimed that the figure is missing from the €29.1million (£25.9 million/$42.4 million) previously announced by Annecy 2018.

The bid leader for Annecy, Charles Beigbeder, nevertheless, claimed that he expected Annecy to win.

"Right now I'm focusing on the international side of the bid and IOC members," he said.

"Once we will be awarded the Games, we will have plenty of time to work with [Annecy citizens] and to take into account their legitimate concerns."

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