A survey of UK investors by Lloyds TSB Private Banking showed that over a third of them think that European countries that mismanage public finances should be kicked out of the euro - although a substantial percentage took no view either way.

The poll, taken from 1,024 investors, found that 36 per cent said laggard nations should be removed from the single currency, and only 24 per cent dissented from that point of view; some 29 per cent neither agreed nor disagreed, and 11 per cent answered “don’t know”, it said.

The poll findings come at a time when the eurozone remains wracked by worries about the solvency of countries such as Ireland, Greece and Portugal. The bailouts to Ireland and Greece thus far have raised the risk that the single currency could split, with some nations forced to leave.

The research showed that most investors confirmed their finances had suffered in the last six months because of eurozone debt problems, with only 11 per cent saying their wealth had not been hit. They also predict further impairments – a small 10 per cent predict their finances will not suffer in the next 12 months as a result of eurozone sovereign debt.

Some 28 per cent of investors go so far as to say the euro should be split into two currencies – one for financially stronger nations and one for those that are weaker. Surprisingly, only slightly more – 35 per cent – disagree and think the single currency should be maintained. This support for a dual-currency underlines investors’ concerns that weaker countries are pulling down the region as a whole and negatively impacting their investments.

Investors broadly agreed – 78 per cent – that there should be more stringent checks on the financial health of countries that want to join the single currency.

“Confidence in the structural robustness of the eurozone appears to be alarmingly low. With investors increasingly concerned over its future health, it is not surprising they want tough sanctions in place to protect their investments and act as a buffer against market volatility,” said Ash Misra, head of investment strategy and research at Lloyds TSB Private Banking.

The survey is a half-yearly exercise carried out among UK stock market investors, to provide insights into financial attitudes and behaviour, and to allow changes over time to be tracked on a bi-annual basis. This was the seventh time the survey was conducted.