Donald Trump refused to shake hands with Angela Merkel as a first meeting between the two leaders, which was postponed from Tuesday because of snow, got off to a distinctly frosty start.

The German chancellor and US president posed for the press in the Oval Office, and photographers could be heard calling for the two to shake hands. Mrs Merkel turned and smiled at her host, asking him: "Do you want to have a handshake?"

But Mr Trump, who had appeared to hold hands with Theresa May, the Prime Minister, when they walked together during her White House visit in January, looked down at the floor and avoided all eye-contact with his guest.