Knock-offs of Gloucester Old Spot sausages as well as the county’s cheese and cider could hit supermarket shelves after Brexit, trading standard professionals have warned.

The government has now revealed its new scheme for policing cheap imitations of British food when the UK leaves the EU, which will see council trading standard bodies takeover the job from the trading bloc.

But the Charted Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has warned budget cuts and slashes to the number of enforcement officers will leave councils unable to stop fakes.

While the risk to Cornish Pasties has been making the headlines, Gloucestershire’s iconic products are also protected by the EU under the current system.

A CTSI spokesperson said: “We have brought forward concerns from extensive research by leaders across the breadth of trading standards activities.

“The government has set an ambition of no less protection for consumers and high standards of regulation when we leave the EU.

“Consumers and businesses cannot afford to lose out as we leave the European Union, and CTSI is ready to assist the government to make sure we are all protected.”

A Defra spokesperson said: “It is completely untrue to suggest that we are not protecting UK products as we leave the EU.

"We’ve already set out how our schemes will work here, meaning that everything from Cornish Pasties to Melton Mowbray pork pies will be recognised and protected.

“Local authorities are already responsible for making sure that product labelling is accurate and in fact we’re making it easier for local authorities to enforce these rules.”