THERESA May and Emmanuel Macron enjoyed a gastropub lunch yesterday as the pair met for a summit on intelligence and security.

The heads of government had a working lunch at the Michelin-starred Royal Oak in the prime minister’s Maidenhead constituency during the French premier’s first visit to the UK since entering the Elysee Palace.

The leaders of the UK and French intelligence agencies were also included in the summit, which saw Macron receive a ceremonial welcome at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, as were members of both cabinets.

The heads of MI5, MI6, GCHQ and France’s DGSE and DGSI were expected to discuss how they can work together to counter threats such as the targeting of concert venues like Manchester Arena and the Bataclan in Paris, as well as the use of the internet as a “safe space” by terrorists.

Last night Downing Street confirmed a raft of agreements, including the provision of further French support for the UK-led enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup in Estonia next year to help “deter Russian aggression towards NATO Allies and bolster the security of NATO’s Eastern flank”.

In return, the UK will send RAF Chinook helicopters to Mali to aid French counter-terrorism measures there.

Three helicopters and around 50 non-combat troops will be deployed to the West African nation where French forces are attempting to stabilise the cross-border Sahel region, where extremists like Daesh and al Qaida have gained a foothold.

Defence ministers from each side will also discuss the creation of a UK-France Defence Ministerial Council to create a “permanent and regular forum” for cooperation on common interests.

Downing Street said the UK will also work with France and other European partners on the development of the proposed European Intervention Initiative (EII) defence cooperation framework, which will be separate from the EU and aims to complement Nato and other existing military initiatives.

Meanwhile, there was also confirmation that a Combined Joint Expeditionary Force will be “fully operational” by 2020 and capable of “complex and demanding” expeditionary military combat operations on land, in the air and at sea.

It will also provide peace-keeping, disaster relief or humanitarian assistance.

Before the meeting, May committed to spending another £44.5 million on toughening UK border controls in France.

Officials said the money would go towards fencing, CCTV and detection technology in Calais and other ports along the Channel.

It will also be used to relocate people away from Channel ports to prevent another migrant camp from forming as it did in Calais in 2015.

Meanwhile, a commitment to taking in a higher proportion of child refugees from France as part of its commitment to resettle 480 unaccompanied children under the Dubs scheme was expected.

More than 750 children have been transferred to the UK through various routes since the so-called Jungle camp was dismantled in 2016. Up to 7000 people lived there before it was cleared, and the number of illegal attempts to enter the UK from France has fallen from 80,000 in 2015 to 30,000 last year.

On Wednesday May’s spokesperson said: “The work to identify unaccompanied minors in and around the Calais area continues and where it’s appropriate to find them homes in the UK we’re determined to do so.”

A government source continued: “This is about investing in and enhancing the security of the UK border. Just as we invest in our borders around the rest of the UK, it is only right that we constantly monitor whether there is more we can be doing at the UK border controls in France and Belgium to ensure they are as secure as possible.”