British drivers could be stopped from travelling on the continent after Brexit because UK driving licences will no longer be recognised, the European Commission has suggested.

Failure to secure a deal on transport during the negotiations would see the mutual recognition of licences among member states withdrawn, meaning travellers would also potentially be unable to hire cars or take out insurance.

The warning was issued in presentation slides released by the European Commission on Thursday morning, just hours before Theresa May and her Brexit ‘war’ Cabinet were due to meet at Chequers to agree on the UK’s final negotiating position.

Under the heading “consequences of the UK becoming a third country in the road transport sector” the Commission said a consequence of leaving the internal market would be that “all current EU law-based rights, obligations and benefits cease”.

This, it added, would mean the “end of mutual recognition of driving licences, vehicle registration documents and certificates of professional competence for drivers”.