Britain could be forced to accept nearly 40 EU directives during a two-year transition period after Brexit, according to a leaked Whitehall analysis.

The report, obtained by The Telegraph, reveals that a series of controversial EU laws could be imposed amid concerns that Britain is powerless to stop them.

One of the most contentious of the 37 directives could require every British household to have four different bins in a bid to hit "unfeasible" new EU recycling targets.

Another directive could give Brussels the authority to mount a massive raid on the City of London, while the UK could also be bound by renewable and energy efficiency targets for up to a decade after Brexit.

It is likely to trigger a new Cabinet row as Eurosceptics including Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, have repeatedly warned that Britain must not accept new EU rules during transition.