A no-deal Brexit would damage British relations with Europe for a generation, Jeremy Hunt has warned as he pleaded for Brussels to show more flexibility in the Brexit negotiations.

The Foreign Secretary used a visit to Berlin to say that while a failure to achieve a withdrawal deal would be "challenging" for the UK, it would "thrive" in the long term.

However, he noted how in such circumstances relations between the UK and its allies would be severely damaged by a failure to reach an agreement.

"Without a real change in approach from the EU negotiators, we do now face a real risk of 'no deal' by accident," Mr Hunt declared.

"That would be incredibly challenging economically. Britain would find that challenging but, in the end, we would find a way not just to survive but to thrive economically.

"But my real concern is that it would change British public attitudes to Europe for a generation. It would lead to a fissure in relations which would be highly damaging for that great partnership that we have had for so many years, which has been so important in sustaining the international order," he added.

Mr Hunt's trip to Berlin for talks with his German counterpart Heiko Maas marks the start of a frenetic round of diplomatic activity for Theresa May's Government as the Prime Minister seeks to build support for her Brexit strategy across the continent.

Mrs May is expected to hold talks with Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz and other EU leaders at the Salzburg Festival on Friday.

Also this week, Mrs May's de facto deputy David Lidington will travel to Paris while Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab will be in Brussels for more talks with Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, on Thursday.

Asked about Amazon’s warning of potential civil unrest if there were no deal on Brexit, the PM’s deputy spokeswoman said she would not get into what might or might not have been said in private meetings but noted: “We have been clear we expect to agree a mutually beneficial deal and given all the progress we have made so far that is by far the most likely outcome.”

Asked about the warning by leading Conservative Remainer Dominic Grieve, the former Attorney General, that a no-deal scenario would lead to a “state of emergency,” she added: “As a responsible government we are working on no-deal preparations. You had thousands of words at the weekend from Dominic Raab[the Brexit Secretary] in various interviews about what we are doing.

“In the next few months, you will see much more detail on our plans by a raft of technical notices about what we are doing and if that so came to pass. But we are confident that that’s not going to be the case,” she added.