BLACKBURN with Darwen councillors have clashed over the content of a letter from the borough's chief executive to the borough's two MPs over Brexit.

Its full Council Forum on Thursday voted to instruct Harry Catherall to write to Labour's Kate Hollern and Conservative Jake Berry on the issue.

Tory Cllr John Pearson moved a motion calling on the meeting to authorise the letter reminding the MPs, who both voted to remain in the European Union, that the people of Blackburn and Darwen decisively voted to leave.

It said they should 'reflect their constituent’s democratic view in all they have to say on Brexit'.

Labour deputy leader Phil Riley submitted a successful amendment adding that the letter should specify that any deal must 'include a customs union and no hard border in Northern Ireland and must protect jobs, people's rights at work and environmental and consumer standards'.

He said this was necessary to clarify Tory confusion over which Brexit they wanted - 'Jacob Rees-Mogg's fall of a cliff version, Boris Johnson's super-Canada 'as long as I'm in charge' version, or Theresa's May's 'deranged' version'.

Cllr Pearson said the changes had 'distorted the original motion beyond all recognition' and that it was vital to swiftly exit the 'cumbersome, slow-moving and undemocratic EU'.

Darwen MP Mr Berry now backs Brexit.