Michel Barnier, EU chief negotiator, said a deal could be signed off before December

Downing Street has rejected plans to have EU officials at British ports forwarding goods to Ireland, in the latest sign of an impasse on customs.

A Brexit deal with Brussels can be struck in less than two months’ time, Michel Barnier, Europe’s chief negotiator said yesterday, as Theresa May sent her ministers on a final drive to sell Chequers to her divided party.

However differences still remain on key issues, particularly connected to customs and Northern Ireland. Britain insists that its customs plan removes the need for any checks at all but the EU has rejected the so-called future customs arrangement.

A Downing Street spokesman said: “We believe the solution that we set out in the white paper and at Chequers delivers on the issue