Confidence among British finance chiefs dropped in the wake of the general election result, according to a closely watched survey that showed rising concern about the ­impact of Brexit.

Deloitte’s survey of FTSE 350 chief financial officers showed 42pc were more pessimistic about company prospects in the second quarter, up from 17pc in the first three months of 2017.

This compares with just 18pc of CFOs who said they were more upbeat, down from 31pc in the first quarter.

More finance chiefs said they would pause hiring and investment amid the cautious outlook, even as many said a brighter global backdrop and ongoing eurozone recovery had helped to offset the impact of domestic uncertainties.

Deloitte’s poll of 122 finance chiefs is likely to be noted by policymakers at the Bank of England, who had forecast a slowdown in consumer spending to be partially offset by rising investment as the global economy strengthens.

Gloomy official manufacturing, construction and trade data last week are also likely to dim the prospects of an imminent interest rate rise.