More than half of the UK’s private investors believe Brexit will provide an opportunity for investment, according to a new survey.

Just 15 per cent of investors surveyed by Master Investor said that the UK’s departure from the European Union would be a “disaster”, while 51 per cent said it would be an opportunity.

Overall, 86 per cent of respondents said they were “confident” going forward and identified the availability of debt finance as their biggest concern.

One in six (16 per cent) even claimed to be “very confident”.

Higher interest rates were considered to be the second-most risky issue, according to the 175 private investors surveyed last month, followed by currency volatility, international political volatility and a no-deal Brexit respectively.

A global economic slowdown and a new UK government led by Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn were of the least risk, investors said.

And the amount private investors have to invest also increased by nearly one third year on year. Investors surveyed had around £387,000 in investable assets, up 31 per cent compared with 2018.

Master Investor director James Faulkner said: “The research clearly shows that despite ongoing economic uncertainty and market volatility, investors are overwhelmingly confident about their investments. Brexit is seen as an opportunity not a disaster for investors and they are backing UK companies, both large and small. We were surprised however to see such little concern for a change in UK government or a more general economic slowdown.”

Respondents to the Master Investor survey were on average 54 years old and, in the majority, either self-directed or ISA investors.