The cost of implementing new legislation has more than doubled in the last year for small businesses in the South-East, according to a new survey.

The survey of business advisers by the Institute of Chartered Accountants revealed regulation was considered to be the most serious barrier to growth for the region's small firms.

Advisers estimated the cost of red tape now amounted to between four to six per cent of turnover for smaller businesses.

Frank Pyne, the institute's liaison officer for the South-East, said: "Red tape's stranglehold continues unabated.

"The volume and complexity of regulation eats into the resources of small businesses and also absorbs far too much time which could be spent more valuably on survival and expansion."

The survey showed the annual cost of dealing with new legisaltion for businesses with ten staff or less had risen from £1,700 to £3,600. Results also indicated businesses employing up to 50 staff had seen a rise from an average of £5,000 to £8,000 while sole traders faced costs of about £1,000 a year.

The insitute has now called for the Government's Small Business Service to ease the burden caused by implementing new and existing legislation.

The SBS was introduced in April as a conduit between Goverment and small businesses when assessing the impact of proposed new laws.

Sussex Enterprise has also been calling for a reduction in red tape.

Alan Brooks, director of marketing at Sussex Enterprise, said: "The BCC has been successful in getting the Government to think about the effects on business of legislation, including setting up the Small Business Council, but we need to see more action to ensure a better deal for Sussex businesses."

The organisation's national body, the BCC, has estimated the cost of implementing new regulations to businesses in the life of this Government to be in excess of £10 billion.

The BCC said the introduction of stakeholder pensions and welfare reform would impose a further £140 million, one-off cost on businesses next year.