A SENIOR UKIP figure has called on Worcestershire MPs who backed Leave in the EU referendum to QUIT post-Brexit.

Peter Jewell, a key ally of Nigel Farage in the county, has sparked controversy by saying the cohort of Conservative MPs who backed David Cameron should "do what he did" and walk away.

The remarks have been rubbished by county parliamentarians, who say Mr Jewell is attacking them for daring to express an opinion and have hit back by suggesting his party is finished.

Five of Worcestershire's six MPs backed Remain during the campaign, despite largely expressing broadly Eurosceptic views.

Some of them - like West Worcestershire's Harriett Baldwin - devoted huge efforts to campaigning for 'Stronger In', with Redditch's Karen Lumley the only one backing Leave.

Mr Jewell said: "The Tories totally misread the electorate.

"They are so arrogant that they think they know what is best for the electorate, well it just goes to show.

"Worcestershire's Tory MPs voted to 'Remain', save for Karen Lumley who hid behind the parapet and hoped she could juggle either way.

"The other Worcestershire MP's should resign on a matter of principle, they should reflect on the result and quit."

Mid-Worcestershire MP Nigel Huddleston told the Worcester News: "On important political issues affecting my constituents, I think it's right I express an opinion.

"If people ask me for an opinion I'm very happy to tell them - I think people would expect that of an MP.

"If I hadn't had done that, I wouldn't have been performing my role as an MP.

"I'm very happy with the way I conducted myself, when people contacted me about it I replied and set out both sides of the argument - whether Peter did that, I don't know but I did."

Worcester MP Robin Walker added: "For a party that claims to be interested in parliamentary sovereignty, it's surprising UKIP are so ill-informed on the British constitution and the way parliament works.

"Seeing as they campaigned for a referendum in which MPs would have no more say in the matter than their constituents, it's surprising they seem to misunderstand so completely the role of MPs in the process.

"We voted to give people that say, and to trust the people."

He also called UKIP "redundant" due to the result, and said the rival party will "continue to fail utterly" in convincing most voters in future elections despite the referendum outcome.

Mrs Baldwin, who campaigned for Remain in her role as a Treasury minister, said: "Mr Jewell should be grateful to us all for winning an overall Conservative majority and thus voting to give him referendum he wanted.

"All of us were perfectly entitled to our own opinions in a direct democratic referendum where everyone got a vote."

Mr Jewell is UKIP's deputy treasurer and tried to get elected as the police and crime commissioner for West Mercia in May.