A Liberal Democrat councillor has revealed she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) over Brexit.

Antonia Harrison, who sits on Havant Borough Council, opened up about the impact of Britain's departure from the EU at a fringe event at the Lib Dem conference in Brighton.

She said: “I actually have, in my medical history, a diagnosis of PTSD over Brexit.”

Asked about the claim after the session, Ms Harrison told The Independent: “I have not been in Sudan fighting in a war, but it has had a profound impact on me.

"I am European to my core, and my identity has been ripped out. I am European before I am English."

She added: "It is just on my record, at some point, they just put it on my record.

“It has had so many effects on my physical body, and things that have come out since. I have lost my voice many times and they put that down to trauma.”

Ms Harrison, who lived in Brussels and learnt eight languages, said that after the Brexit referendum she told her daughter it was "the worst day of your life".

She said: “She has a Masters in international law, she should be in Brussels like I was at her age, and instead she is stuck here.”

Ms Harrison added that Brexit had also scuppered her plans to retire in Marbella, Spain.

But the councillor admitted the Lib Dems need to “wait for people to realise themselves it was a massive mistake” before campaigning to reverse the move.

Sir Ed Davey's party has set out a long-term plan to rejoin the EU which includes steps such as returning to the Single Market.

The Lib Dems were reduced to just 11 MPs at the 2019 election after standing on a vow to stop Brexit. They won 72 seats in July's General Election.