Almost four years after Johnson promised the fishing merchant the French would be desperate to buy his fish, the business has seen sales plummet 30% and export costs rise by as much as £3,000 a week.

Brexit has cost the UK economy billions of pounds in lost trade and tax revenues, according to research shared with ITV News by the Centre for European Reform. / It estimates the economy is 5% smaller than it would have been if the UK had stayed in the EU.

“If there wasn’t any Brexit, there wouldn’t be any issues,” he said. “We were getting on fine before that.”

Time-sensitive seafood exports have been hit hard as the fishing industry struggles to deal with long-winded paperwork and new rules

Mr Perkes, has admitted he “got it wrong” when he voted to leave the EU

Brixham-based fish merchant Ian Perkes told Financial Times that he “never looked at implications of the paperwork” that a vote to leave would bring.

Many at the harbour in the Devon town are concerned that their industry has been sold short