Car industry executives hammered home the importance of the sector to the UK economy and the threats posed to it by Brexit at a high-level No 10 meeting with Theresa May this afternoon.

Executives from the UK’s biggest car manufacturers including BMW, Honda, Jaguar Land Rover and Toyota spelled out to the Prime Minister of the damage likely to be done to the industry if Britain leaves the EU without a trade deal.

Top of the agenda was global competitiveness of vehicle manufacturers operating in Britain as negotiations with the EU appear to be making little progress.