British companies have scaled back sharply their hiring and investment plans amid the growing turmoil around Britain's exit from the EU, a survey showed.

More firms were downbeat about the outlook for jobs and investment than were optimistic for the first time since the Recruitment and Employment Confederation began its surveys in June 2016, the month of the Brexit referendum. Nearly three years on, it remains unclear how, when or even if Brexit will happen.

"For months, businesses have told us that they were concerned about the general outlook for the economy. It is clear to us that this concern is now closer to home," REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry said.

While more employers planned to increase rather than cut permanent staff, hiring intentions weakened sharply. For temporary staff, the survey showed outright cuts were likely.