Boris Johnson has announced that Britain will support Turkey's bid to join the EU despite putting warnings about the prospect at the heart of the Brexit campaign in the run up to the referendum.

During the EU referendum Mr Johnson warned that the accession of Turkey would give millions of migrants the right to live and work in the UK. The claim was one of the most controversial of the referendum campaign and led to accusations by senior Remain campaigners that Mr Johnson had lied.

But yesterday, during his first official visit to Turkey, Mr Johnson said that Britain will "help Turkey in any way" now that it is leaving the EU. He also declined to apologise for previously writing a limerick about the "love that flowers" between the Turkish President and a goat.