A business leader in Cornwall has backed a call for a comprehensive free trade deal with the European Union after Brexit.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) made the call days before Prime Minister Theresa May triggers Article 50 which will signal the start of a two-year negotiation period before Great Britain leaves the EU.

Supporting the call, the FSB development manager for Cornwall, Ann Vandermeulen, said any deal following Brexit must make it as easy as possible for small businesses to trade with the EU to ensure exporting remains a viable opportunity for them.

The FSB says small business owners want a deal to trade without tariffs with the European Single Market, as they do at present, and that any imposition of such costs would deter a significant percentage from trading with Europe.