Scaremongering by pro-EU campaigners ahead of next month’s referendum has triggered a surge in support for Brexit among businesses, a new survey shows.

The share of business leaders who said they would vote to stay inside the bloc fell to 54.1pc in April, compared with 60pc in February, according to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

In the BCC’s final EU survey before the June 23 vote, the proportion of companies that said they would vote to leave climbed to 37pc, from 30pc three months ago. A tenth remain undecided.