Britain has exported more goods to countries outside the European Union than to those within it for a record 15 months in a row, official figures showed yesterday.

Eurosceptics seized on the release, from the Office for National Statistics, as evidence that the EU relies more on Britain than Britain does on the rest of the EU.

The ONS said Britain exported £11.1billion of goods to Europe in November, compared with £12.2billion to the rest of the world.

David Cameron has promised an in-out referendum on the country’s EU membership by the end of 2017 – sparking warnings from the pro-Europe camp that quitting would seriously damage the economy

The report also showed that while exports to Europe remained subdued, Britain bought record amounts of goods from EU countries – helping to prop up their economies.

The difference between imports and exports was valued at around £8.2billion. Ukip MP Douglas Carswell said: ‘The importance of the EU deteriorates with every set of trade figures. Of course they are not going to discriminate against us once we have left.’

David Cameron has promised an in-out referendum on the country’s EU membership by the end of 2017 – sparking warnings from the pro-Europe camp that quitting would seriously damage the economy.

But Matthew Elliott, from campaign group Vote Leave, said: ‘When we vote to leave we will secure a free trade deal with the EU and these figures show why. We need to take back control over trade policy.’