BORIS Johnson has called the allegations he groped a female journalist “sad” and claimed attacks on him were made by people trying to sabotage Brexit.

The PM blasted the “shot or shell” claims and said it was “not true” that he squeezed the leg of reporter Charlotte Edwardes.

'VERY SAD'

This week Sunday Times journalist Ms Edwardes alleged Mr Johnson groped her when he was editor of the Spectator in 1999.

But speaking to BBC Breakfast today the PM said: “They [the claims] are not true.

“It’s very sad for someone to make such allegations, it’s not true.

"I don’t minimise the importance of such allegations and the importance of the issue. But it is not true and there’s nothing really more I can say."

It’s very sad for someone to make such allegations, it’s not true.

Mr Johnson also suggested that the comments may have been used to stop him delivering Brexit by October 31.

He said: “This is a very difficult time.

“Brexit is about to be done. A lot of people don't want Brexit to be done.

“It’s inevitable I’ll come under a certain amount of shot or shell. I don't mind that.”

Boris was also quizzed over his plans for the Northern Irish backstop as his chief Brexit negotiator David Frost heads to Brussels this week.

BACKSTOPPED

Mr Frost will show the legal text the Government wants inserted into the withdrawal agreement to kill off the backstop.

Mr Johnson is expected to use his speech to the Tory conference tomorrow to lay out his proposal.

UK sources claim they have already secured wins in convincing the EU to even consider alternatives — and to give the Northern Ireland Assembly a bigger say over customs rules.

There were reports that No10 had suggested goods could be imported and exported through customs clearing houses away from the border – which would then be tracked via GPS.

The most important thing is that we bust out of the so called backstop arrangements which keep the EU locked in the customs union, commercial trade policy.

But the PM said: “No, that’s not right. With great respect we are not going to be producing now the proposals we are going to be tabling in Brussels.

“That is what you’ve just recited the kind of ways this can get confused. People can needlessly distort what we are doing.

“We do think there’s a good way forward.”

He added: “The most important thing is that we bust out of the so called backstop arrangements which keep the EU locked in the customs union, commercial trade policy.

“All the rules that come with Brussels we would have to accept, but without any say in the making of those laws.

“What we are doing is coming out, taking the freedoms which are so vital for Brexit.

“I think that actually we can do this, with our European friends and partners, with Dublin, in a way that protects the Good Friday Agreement and actually protects the kingdom of Northern Ireland and Great Britain.”

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