BORIS JOHNSON arrived in Brecon today but it is unlikely many members of the public would have seen Britain’s new Prime Minister.

Though a large number of people, as well as journalists, photographers and at least one television news crew, had gathered in Brecon town centre they would have been disappointed if they had been hoping to catch a glimpse of the PM.

Though it is unclear if there was ever firm plans that the strongly rumoured walk around would take place the only place to see the PM was at the headquarters of mail-order firm BVG on the edge of town Enterprise Park industrial estate.

But that was a safe distance behind a large perimeter fence much to the annoyance of a remain campaigner and several television news crews.

According to Powys Conservative councillor Iain McIntosh, who attended the BVG visit, the PM asked on "at least two occasions" whether he could walk around shops and businesses but his security team objected.

The newly elected Conservative leader has undertaken a tour of Britain since the weekend making major announcements for the north west of England in Manchester on Saturday and meeting Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, in Edinburgh, yesterday.

Tuesday was Mr Johnson’s first visit to Wales as PM and the visit to BVG, thought to be Brecon's largest private employer, was fitted in as a quick stop to support Conservative candidate Chris Davies who is hoping to win back the Commons seat he lost in May due to a recall petition in this Thursday’s by-election.

During his Brecon pit stop Mr Johnson met with the firm’s staff but that meeting was off-limits for the two local, and one Cardiff-based, print journalists who were granted a "one question each" interview with the PM.

Photographers were allowed into the meeting with staff but Tory party press management, apparently, scuppered the best shots of the, as ever, animated PM waving around a shoe that is manufactured and sold by the firm.

He then spent five minutes with journalists answering questions on Chris Davies, what reassurance he could offer Powys farmers who fear a no-deal Brexit and, ahead of his next meeting with Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford, his thoughts on the importance of the union and the possibility of Welsh independence that seems to get a boost whenever no-deal, Scottish independence and Irish reunification are raised.

Mr Johnson didn’t give much away but did say he wanted to strike a leave deal. However, while punching his fist forward, he said that rested with the European Union: "I want to stress it’s up to our EU friends to be sensible, now is the time for them to show that they understand we need a deal, a better-deal. The backstop is obviously, er was thrown out three times by Parliament, the withdrawal agreement was thrown out three times by Parliament, it’s dead we can’t keep going down that track so we need a new approach and I hope our friends will see sense."

Conservative Mr Davies will be hoping to receive a boost from Mr Johnson’s visit and he likes to stress he offers "connectivity" to the decision makers in Westminster

His campaign team would probably have been even happier if a walkabout had taken place and it would have tested, on the streets, the surprise Conservative lead in a Wales-wide opinion poll published this week in a constituency that is still tipped to go to the Lib Dems in Thursday's by-election.

Mr Johnson had handled his official Prime Ministerial business during an earlier trip to a farm in Newport as handling official government business during an election campaign is outside rules on impartiality but Mr Johnson’s announcement, while in Scotland, of cash for various regional growth deals, including the Mid Wales growth deal, has raised complaints from opponents.

At the poultry farm in Newport Mr Johnson also met with Merthyr Cynog beef and sheep farmer John Davies who is the president of the NFU Cymru farming union.

Both the NFU and Farmers’ Union of Wales have warned of the dangers of no-deal and Mr Davies said he was pleased the PM had visited a Welsh farm.

He said: "I am pleased that less than a week on from being appointed Prime Minister, Mr Johnson has visited a Welsh family farming business thus recognising the importance of the farming and food industry to Wales.

“At NFU Cymru we are immensely proud of the role played by Welsh farming to the economy, environment, landscape and social fabric of Wales and we share the ambition of the Prime Minister to further grow our contribution to society."

Mr Davies said farmers want to be able to sell to the "widest possible range of markets" but stressed the European one is vitally important: "We must not forget that the EU is currently the home of 72% of our total food and drink exports and over one third of our lambs are exported to EU markets every year. Research published at last week’s Royal Welsh Show calculated that exports of our beef and lamb would fall by a staggering 92.5% if we left the EU with ‘No deal’, Welsh lamb producers would see lamb prices drop by a quarter. First and foremost the Prime Minister must prioritise the protection of this core market through securing continued, unfettered access. The EU is our nearest and largest export market and any interruption to this trade will have catastrophic impacts for Welsh farming.

“The UK, through its membership of the EU, currently has over 40 trade agreements with more than 70 countries. The Prime Minister needs to set out his detailed plan for how he intends to secure ongoing access to these markets following our departure from the EU.

"I am sure that on his visit to Wales today the Prime Minister will have been impressed by the passion, drive and commitment of Welsh farmers and our plans for the future. A future that is looking forward to the opportunity to access new markets for our world leading Welsh food and drink across the globe but that is dependent on maintaining and growing our exports to Europe."For more from the interview with Boris Johnson and a full round up of by-election campaign news get The Brecon & Radnor Express - on sale from Wednesday, July 31