The European Commissioner overseeing the introduction of the new single currency, the euro, has strongly denounced those people in Britain who oppose the currency.

In a speech in London, the Commissioner, Yves-Thibault de Silguy, said Britain's Euro-sceptics had repeatedly and wrongly predicted the new currency would fail and had damaged the country's image in Europe.

Mr de Silguy said he thought there was increasing public support for the euro in Britain.

He predicted many British businesses would start using it as a parallel currency from its introduction in January, even though Britain is not among the eleven countries taking part in the project.