British holidaymakers may have to pay for European visas, Amber Rudd says

British holidaymakers could be forced to pay for visas to travel into Europe as part of a trade-off for the Brexit vote, Amber Rudd has suggested.

The home secretary said she could not rule out the introduction of a scheme which would force those outside the EU to pay for short-term visas to visit countries such as France.

Speaking on BBC One's The Andrew Marr show, Rudd said: "I think [British citizens] would be surprised.

"I don't think it's particularly desirable, but we don't rule it out because we have to be allowed a free hand to give the best negotiation."

The home secretary said reports that the European Commission is considering a visa programme to operate across the Schengen free movement area is a "reminder" that the UK is in a "two-way negotiation" with the EU as it seeks its divorce itself from Brussels.

Rudd warned, however, that the UK could retaliate and create a similar system if British citizens were forced to pay for travel to Europe.

The home secretary also said the UK would be able to control its borders post-Brexit, and insisted that the government is "completely committed" to its target of reducing net immigration to tens of thousands of people.