Nearly 60 per cent of mid-sized manufacturers in the UK are eager to remain as part of Europe and believe that running their companies would be more difficult if they had to leave the EU, according to figures from accountancy and advisory firm BDO LLP.

Reporting on the figures, The Manufacturer said that 59 per cent of mid-market manufacturing firms want to stay in Europe under David Cameron's new terms.

Although the mid-market constitutes one per cent of all UK companies, these manufacturers make up one in four private sector jobs and equal a third of the UK's total revenue each year.

However, mid-market companies have said that although they want to stay in the EU, they want to see it subject to further changes.

These include 73 per cent of firms looking for less "red tape" in EU legislation, in order to make it easier to do business and an improvement in trade agreements.

In fact, 44 per cent are looking for the EU to have a sharper focus on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the US and other, similar trade agreements.

Tom Lawton, head of manufacturing at BDO LLP, said: "Exports and international trade are critical to UK mid-market manufacturers."