More than one in 10 French consumers are less likely to buy British as a result of Prime Minister Tony Blair's hardline stance, the poll suggests.

Only 1 in 100 French are more likely to buy British because of the war, according to the survey by public relations company Weber Shandwick, which also revealed anti-British sentiment in Germany.

The survey found that 10 percent of German consumers said they were less likely to buy British -- although this was balanced by 7 percent who said they were more likely.

According to government figures, Britain exported goods worth just over 18 billion pounds (14.4 billion euros, 15.6 billion dollars) to France and more than 21 billion pounds to Germany in 2002.

US companies could be hit even harder than those from Britain, according to the survey conducted between April 11 and April 13 -- after the last phase of the war in Iraq.

Seventeen percent of French people surveyed said they were less likely to buy products from the United States, balanced by four percent who said they were more likely.

Interviews with British consumers found 11 percent claiming to be less likely to buy US products, compared with four percent claiming to be more likely.

In Germany, 13 percent said they were less likely to buy American, against 9 percent who said they were more likely.

Colin Byrne, joint chief executive of Weber Shandwick in Britain, said: "In France and Germany, it may well be that the anti-war stance of political leaders and mainstream media has filtered down to consumers."

He added: "British opinion is less hostile to the war, but what's striking is that in general terms British consumers seem to have become politicised.

"Of the three countries we examined, the British are far more likely to consider leveraging their purchasing power to make a point about an issue that concerns them."

SPACE.WIRE