The row over smacking children was reopened yesterday as the Government announced a review of the law less than three years since MPs rejected an outright ban.

Children's minister Beverley Hughes said parents and professionals would be consulted this summer over how present rules were working.

Restrictions were toughened in 2004 to prevent anyone claiming they had administered a "reasonable punishment" if it left visible bruising. But moves to outlaw any hitting of youngsters were rejected.

Last month, Britain's four child commissioners called for a total ban, insisting there was was no room for compromise.

But the most recent poll found parents believed smacking was an acceptable way to discipline children.

More than two thirds of parents surveyed said they did use it as a punishment, and between 80 and 90 per cent of both parents and adults without families were against a complete ban.

In a written statement, Ms Hughes said the review of Section 58 of the Children Act 2004 - which contains the controversial "reasonable punishment" test, would begin immediately.

A report would be published in the autumn but there were "no current plans to change the legislation", she added.

Colette Marshall, UK director of Save the Children, said: "Hitting children - like hitting anyone else - is unacceptable.

"Save the Children welcomes the opportunity for the UK government to meet its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child by modernising this law.

"Children are vulnerable and are currently treated unequally. They must have the same protection from assault as adults."

NSPCC director of public policy Phillip Noyes said: ''The NSPCC has consistently called for children to have the same legal protection from assault as adults. The review must be thorough enough to establish whether Section 58 is helping in any way to protect children."

The Liberal Democrats joined the calls for an all-out ban. Spokeswoman Annette Brooke said: "The Government should actually do the job properly this time. The halfway-house position they implemented last time only confused parents."

But Conservative children's spokesman Tim Loughton said: "Labour ministers cannot resist meddling in how parents look after their children.

"Clearly, if anybody is responsible for abuse and violence towards a child they need to face the full rigour of the law.

"But there is a world of difference between that and a loving parent using chastisement as he or she sees fit in the interests of the child."