The Government is failing to be "frank" with the public about the extent of no-deal preparations because it wants to shore up support for Theresa May's "disastrous" Brexit deal, a civil servant says.

The official, who is involved in drawing up contingency plans, writes in The Telegraph that claims that Britain will "crash out" in the event of a no-deal Brexit are "absolutely untrue".

Describing the claims as "Project Fear Mark III", the civil servant says that "very detailed plans" have been made are now being executed to ensure that a cliff-edge Brexit is "simply not going to be an option".

The civil servant writes: "If the Government was to be frank with Parliament and the country, what justification would be left for its disastrous Withdrawal Agreement?