FOREX-Euro hits new 3-month low, sterling falls

* Dollar index near highest in nearly 8 weeks

* Upbeat U.S. data helps lift dollar sentiment

* Dollar/yen hovers in sight of 2-week high (Updates prices, adds more comment)

By Patrick Graham

LONDON, May 28 (Reuters) - The euro fell to a new three-month low on Wednesday as expectations solidified for a multi-pronged attack on monetary policy by the European Central Bank next week.

A number of banks have been reluctant to continue to sell the euro ahead of the central bank's policy meeting, speculating that the scale of action it takes to bolster the economy - and reduce euro zone interest rates - may yet disappoint markets.

But comments this week by ECB President Mario Draghi were read as confirming the bank is on course to ease policy significantly. Many banks now expect cuts in more than one of its main rates as well as targeted steps to force more credit into the economy.

"It does feel like something is finally beginning to change on the euro," Neil Mellor, a strategist at Bank of New York (Other OTC: BKNML - news) Mellon in London, said.

"A lot is riding on Draghi's shoulders, but if he does confirm expectations (of strong action) then we could see the euro slide deepen."

The euro was down 0.1 percent on the day at $1.3623 , just 10 pips off a three-month low of $1.3612 plumbed on Tuesday.

Mellor pointed to the slowing of a rally in debt prices across the euro zone's indebted southern periphery as evidence that capital inflows to Europe may be slowing.

But the single currency has also drawn support from a number of other factors this year including China's intervention to weaken the yuan and the subsequent recycling of the dollars it purchased in doing so into euros.

The Chinese currency fell further on Wednesday after its biggest daily loss in a month against the dollar a day earlier, hit by negative news from the property sector.

Top (Taiwan OTC: 8419.TWO - news) residential property developer China Vanke Co Ltd said the days of rapid growth in the real estate sector were over, indicating a government clampdown on speculative investment and easy credit has gained traction.

"Chiefly this morning for the dollar its been a story of strength against a number of the emerging or growth-related currencies," Graham Davidson, a currency dealer with NAB in London, said.

"The market likes the dollar at the moment even though Treasury yields are lower. If they start to rally, as I think they will, then the dollar may take off."

DOLLAR BOOST

The U.S. currency ground higher in morning trade to hit a new eight-week peak against a basket of major currencies, helped by some encouraging U.S. economic data in the previous session. The dollar index last stood at 80.501, its highest since early April.

It gained another 0.4 percent against sterling, hit over the past couple of days by a combination of slightly weaker economic data and hints of growing political threats to Britain's long-term status quo.

"Its a confluence of things on sterling," NAB's Davidson said.

"The CBI data this morning, as with some of the other recent numbers, were ok but they haven't been blockbusters either, plus we had one building society hinting that house prices in London might be ready to correct."

British media on Wednesday were also dominated by the latest exchanges in the debate ahead of Scotland's referendum on breaking away from the United Kingdom in September. A number of banks have begun to rate a Yes vote there as a serious risk.

Against the yen, the dollar held steady near 101.96 yen , staying within sight of a near two-week high around 102.14 yen set on Tuesday. (Editing by John Stonestreet and Jane Merriman)