Claims by Boris Johnson that regulations imposed by “Brussels bureaucrats” were damaging the trade in kippers have been debunked by the European commission, which said that the food safety obligations criticised by him were due to rules set by Britain.

The EU has accused UK leadership hopeful Boris Johnson of fake news over his complaint that "Brussels bureaucrats" made life hard for smoked herring sellers. It emerged that the rules were made by the UK, and not the EU.

Boris Johnson’s claim that British kipper producers are being hit by EU food safety rules was branded "fake news" by Brussels, after it emerged the regulations had been imposed by the UK government.