May writes to DUP over potential border in Irish Sea

In the letter Theresa May said she would never allow a divide between the Northern Ireland and Britain "to come into force"

British Prime Minister Theresa May has written to the DUP saying the European Union wants to put a customs border in the Irish Sea in the event of a no-deal Brexit, according to a report by The Times.

Mrs May has reportedly written to the Northern Irish party saying that the EU is still pushing for a so-called "backstop to the backstop".

Such a move would avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

In the letter, Mrs May said she would never allow a divide between the Northern Ireland and Britain "to come into force".

DUP leader Arlene Foster said the letter "raised alarm bells for those who value the integrity of our precious Union and for those who want a proper Brexit for the whole of the UK".

The DUP, who support Mrs May's minority government at Westminster, have repeatedly said they will not support a border in the Irish Sea.

A Downing Street spokesman said the Mrs May's letter sets out her commitment, which she has been absolutely clear about on any number of occasions, to never accepting any circumstances in which the UK is divided into two customs territories.

"The government will not agree to anything that brings about a hard border on the island of Ireland," the spokesman said.

"There are already arrangements in place such as the single electricity market, and on animal health, that reflect the unique relationship between Ireland and Northern Ireland, and we want to make sure nothing damages the integrity of the UK's own internal market, and that businesses in Northern Ireland can continue to access it as they do now, and that's what our proposals deliver."