An EU official familiar with Brussels’ Brexit task force made mischief last week by telling Reuters that negotiations over the UK’s departure would be in French.

The story prompted the reaction the prankster was no doubt hoping for. Theresa May, UK prime minister, said: “We will conduct the negotiations in the way that is going to make sure that we get the right deal for the United Kingdom”, which the UK tabloid The Sun reported as “Theresa May slaps down Eurocrat’s barmy bid to make us negotiate EU exit in FRENCH”.

Michel Barnier, the EU’s Brexit negotiator, or, as his Twitter handle says, “chef de la négociation avec le Royaume-Uni”, tweeted, in English: “Never expressed myself on negotiation language. Work as often in English as French. Linguistic regime to be set at start — to be agreed between negotiators.”