Nearly one in three leading British retail stores will accept the euro in their stores from January 1 next year, despite having no obligation to do so.

A survey for today's Guardian revealed that stores such as Dixons and JD Weatherspoons will accept the new currency, despite the fact that their chairmen are prominent anti-euro campaigners.

Sir Stanley Kalms of Dixons is Tory party treasurer and a former treasurer of Business For Sterling. Tim Martin of JD Weatherspoons personally funded the production of 500,000 anti-euro beermats and 10,000 "save the pound" posters.

Europe minister Peter Hain has also warned that Britain needs to move up a gear on the euro.

"We do not want to be left behind again in another big European development as consistently as we have done in the past. The euro is a reality from New Year's day. The chancellor will make his assessment before June 6, 2003. So the timescale is getting shorter for Britain to begin to make its mind up," he said.