Profit warnings from companies listed in the UK hit a 7-year high during 2015.

This is the highest-level of profit warnings since the onset of the 2008 financial crisis.

According to EY, 313 companies were forced to warn investors that they would miss profit forecasts.

The report says that these companies are likely to face “further challenges” during 2016.

This number is well short of the 449 profit warnings issued during 2008.

100 were issued in the final quarter of the year alone, this was the highest number for a single quarter since the first three months of 2009.

EY's says that businesses experienced a "bruising end to 2015" and that there is little indication that conditions will improve in 2016.

"Many of the challenges that dominated last year have continued into 2016 with the volume turned up," Alan Hudson, EY's head of restructuring for the UK and Ireland said.

He added that a potential UK exit from the EU is going to create more uncertainty for businesses.