THE boss of Wetherspoons has claimed a no-deal Brexit would be preferable to the deal secured by Boris Johnson.

Founder and chairman Tim Martin also attacked corporate governance rules and the advisers who queried spending £95,000 on Brexit-related beer mats.

Wetherspoons pubs in Southampton include the Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis, the Giddy Bridge and the Red Lion, while in Winchester it has the Old Gaolhouse and in Eastleigh the Wagon Works.

It revealed like-for-like sales were up 5.3 per cent in the 13 weeks to October 27, with one pub opened and four shut.

The chain plans to open 10-15 pubs in the current financial year.

Wetherspoons has spent £43.3m buying freeholds at pubs where it was previously a tenant, and £6.4m on buying its own shares in an attempt to boost the price.

Mr Martin used the update to express his anger at new rules that say non-executives should only serve on boards for a maximum of nine years.

But Mr Martin's strongest criticism was against corporate governance advisory group Pirc, which has recommended investors vote against Wetherspoons' pay report over the company's £95,000 spend on Brexit-related beer mats, suggesting the company may have breached political spending rules.

On Brexit, Mr Martin said: "I strongly believe that the UK economy will be better off on the basis of no deal rather than the deal proposed by the government."