Saudi Arabia has suspended commercial negotiations with the UK over the £10bn purchase of a new fleet of Eurofighter Typhoons, in an attempt to force the Serious Fraud Office to wind up a long-running corruption probe.

Mike Turner, chief executive of BAE Systems, Britain’s biggest weapons maker and prime beneficiary of the Saudi deal, said on Monday: “We cannot speak on behalf of the two governments. But I do know we are not currently moving forward on finalising the Typhoon contract.”