A leading Gloucestershire businessman has issued a stark warning to our region's MPs over delivering a no-deal Brexit.

Anthony Poeton, chairman of Poeton Industries, a supplier to the aerospace industry states, has already written to 40 MPs on behalf of two business groups he represents - one for aerospace and one for his own specialist metal coatings sector.

But he has spoken out again in frustration over the seeming stalemate in Parliament as it fails to digest the Prime Minister's Brexit deal.

"Depending on the collective action or otherwise of our elected representatives in Westminster we are 14 weeks away from the most damaging impact on our economy for at least a generation.

"Worse still it will be self-inflicted. A no-deal Brexit will occur not because it is the majority view but because parliament will have failed to act collectively in the country's interest."

Mr Poeton, who has led his business for the last 30 years and employs over 250 people in Wales and the South West, added: "I have no doubt that leaving the EU with No Deal will cost the economy tens of thousands of jobs.

"It will seriously harm supply chains, create even more long-term uncertainty and damage some of the UK's most successful industries. It will also have significant bearing on many people's trust in our democracy.

"Here in the South West, for example, we take much pride in the global success of our aerospace and high-tech engineering sectors. These sectors support tens of thousands of high valued jobs with customers across the world.

"A no-deal Brexit seriously undermines our competitive position. It instantly creates new barriers, more uncertainty and diminishes our credibility, not just in Europe but around the world. Put simply some customers will go elsewhere and jobs will be lost."

"Our politicians must do what they are elected to do. Deliver on the Brexit referendum in the only way that looks after the country's long-term interests - back the deal that is on the table.

"Anything else will be a gross dereliction of collective responsibility; the consequences of which are too dire to contemplate."