Theresa May has said that no British prime minister could ever sign up to an agreement that could result in a border down the Irish Sea

A senior EU official has said he is hopeful “but not confident” that a breakthrough on Brexit negotiations can be achieved by June as the UK has not tabled any fresh proposals on the Irish border.

Maintaining an open border on the island of Ireland remains the biggest log jam in Brexit talks. Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, has warned that unless the UK outlines a workable solution for the Irish border by June, the two sides will be unable to proceed to talks on a future trade deal or agree a 20-month transition period scheduled to start immediately after Britain’s departure in March.

Yesterday The Daily Telegraph reported that Britain’s proposals for the border were subjected to a “systematic and forensic