Number 10 has slapped down Boris Johnson after he claimed that Saudi Arabia has been "playing proxy wars" and "puppeteering" in the Middle East.

Theresa May's spokeswoman said the Prime Minister has "full confidence" in the foreign secretary but added that his comments, made in a speech in Italy, do not reflect Government policy.

She said that Mr Johnson will "have the opportunity" to set out the formal position on the UK's relationship with its ally Saudi Arabia when he visits the country this weekend, in remarks which suggest the Prime Minister was left unimpressed by his intervention.

Speaking in his role as a cabinet minister Mr Johnson said: "There are politicians who are twisting and abusing religion and different strains of the same religion in order to further their own political objectives. That's one of the biggest political problems in the whole region.

"And the tragedy for me - and that's why you have these proxy wars being fought the whole time in that area - is that there is not strong enough leadership in the countries themselves."