Shinzo Abe, Japan's prime minister, has said that a no deal Brexit must be avoided at all costs at a summit with European Union chiefs in Brussels.

Mr Abe said that Japanese companies needed a predictable business environment to continue their operations in the UK before calling on the EU and Britain to ensure a smooth Brexit.

Standing alongside Jean-Claude Juncker., the president of the European Commission and Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, Mr Abe said that Japanese firms had invested in Britain because it was a "gateway to Europe".

He said he had discussed the recent extension of the Brexit deadline to Halloween with Mr Juncker and Mr Tusk and called on the EU and Britain to "gather their wisdom to overcome the situation."

Despite the Brexit extension until October 31 being agreed at an EU summit earlier this month, there is still a risk of a damaging no deal Brexit, which would harm companies such as Nissan and their ability to export from Britain to the EU.

"The UK is a member of the EU. Because of that many Japanese companies made investment in Britain. Under this backdrop, a no deal Brexit is what we have to avoid by all means," Mr Abe said in Brussels on Thursday.