Business owners are increasingly concerned about the potential impact on their business of a hung Parliament after the election, according to data released by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

The BCC survey found that 65% of 300 firms were either "concerned" or "very concerned" about the prospect of no clear winner.

"Instinctively, companies prefer a clear mandate to lead and govern. With our economy still fragile and the public finances in a dire state, the overwhelming concern is whether a hung Parliament will provide decisive action around the UK's unsustainable deficit," said David Frost, director-general of the BCC.