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Foster + Partners saw profit and revenue fall again last year as the firm鈥檚 founder said the government needed to get on and sort out a Brexit deal with the EU 鈥� or risk talent going elsewhere.

The country鈥檚 biggest architect carried out work in close to 50 countries last year including high-profile jobs for Apple at its campus in California as well as a series of store openings for the tech giant in major cities around the world including Milan.

But the firm鈥檚 founder Norman Foster, who turns 84 next June, said his business was under threat from Brexit.

He said: 鈥淭he strength of the practice and its ability to compete successfully on the international stage is related to its ability to attract the best young talent from all over the world. This is true for many professional practices and enterprises in the UK and given the new era of Brexit it is a vitally important message that needs to be noted by our political leaders.鈥�

And he added: 鈥淥verseas trade brings considerable economic benefits to London and the UK. Swift clarification on the trade implications of exiting Europe is also important.鈥�

Foster, who lives in Switzerland, is believed to be the highest paid director at the business whose latest accounts for the year to April 2018 show he picked up 拢2.2m 鈥� nearly double the previous year鈥檚 拢1.2m.

But revenue fell for the second year running, slumping 13% to 拢212.5m while operating profit fell for the third year running, dropping 23% to 拢30m. Pre-tax profit fell 17% to 拢21m.

Workloads in the Middle East fell by 44% to 拢38m while revenue in South America tumbled 70% to just under 拢9m. Turnover in the UK, where last year Sir Robert McAlpine completed the firm鈥檚 Bloomberg building in the City of London, fell 11% to 拢23m.

In a statement, the company said the fall in turnover 鈥渉as been due to the effect of several very large projects completing together鈥� and added: 鈥淲e would not attribute this to the effects of Brexit but we continue to stress that we need clarity from the government on Brexit plans.鈥�

Foster + Partners also bought the last of the shares held by private equity firm 3i after Foster sold a 40% stake in the business for 拢84m in 2007. It said the 拢27.6m of shares were 鈥渢he last direct link鈥� with 3i and had in part been paid for by a 拢137m loan the practice secured last September.

The number of staff at the business dropped to 1,266 from 1,425. The accounts also show it had a credit of 拢100,000 which 鈥渃omprises the unused portion of staff reduction costs provided in the prior year鈥�.