Seventy per cent of businesses in Cumbria believe that leaving the EU would be damaging, a new survey suggests.

The findings come from accountancy firm Moore and Smalley, which found that only three-in-10 of its Cumbrian clients agreed with the statement that leaving the EU would be “the right move for business and the economy”.

The firm, which has offices in Kendal, Kirkby Lonsdale and Lancaster, carried out the survey of clients ahead of the in/out referendum on June 23.

Colin Johnson, partner at Moore and Smalley, said business owners could not be certain of the long-term impact of leaving the EU.

A vote for Brexit vote could bring about financial insecurity.

He said: “Through our conversations with clients, we’ve learned that a lot of business owners are saying the same thing - they just don’t have the facts to know what the true implications of a leave vote would be.

“There’s a belief that a leave vote presents the bigger risk. “For that reason, I think many are erring on the side of caution and are leaning towards a stay vote to avoid a potentially lengthy spell of financial uncertainty.”

But he added that there was some support for the ‘Leave’ campaign.

Mr Johnson said: “Other clients we speak to steadfastly believe a leave vote would bring new business opportunities and make the economy stronger.

“Looking at the national data, it’s going to be a very close vote.”

Of the business owners surveyed, 56 per cent said they wanted to stay in the EU if Britain could secure key reforms, and a further 16 per cent wanted Britain to “remain a member at all costs”. Moore and Smalley’s poll reflects those of a similar survey it ran last year where almost three quarters of businesses said they thought the economy will be stronger if Britain remains in the EU.

The finding are similar to those of a straw poll carried out at a recent Cumbria branch of the Institute of Directors’ debate on Europe in Carlisle.

A show of hands showed half those present wanted to stay in the EU, with the rest evenly divided between those wanting to leave and those yet to make up their minds.