A NO-DEAL Brexit could cause Middlesbrough to experience poverty and a lack of investment that makes it feel even more like Middlesbrough.

Experts warned that the post-industrial Northern town could face the catastrophic long-term situation of being largely the same.

Economist Emma Bradford said: “I don’t wish to be too technical, but Middlesbrough suffers the macroeconomic problem that we economists refer to as ‘being a bit grim’.

“A no-deal Brexit could easily lead to the same number of crap shops, residents joining the army for a more enjoyable life and people in tracksuits scrounging 20p for fags or ‘the bus’.

“I suppose the town could change its name to something like ‘Cheltenham-up-North’, but I’m not sure that would fool anyone.”

However Norman Steele of the pro-Brexit European Research Group said: “These are typical Project Fear lies. Middlesbrough is a beautiful, prosperous place where everyone is happy all the time.

“It might take a bit of an economic hit from Brexit, but the way for local people to look at it is that they’re getting even more of their beloved Middlesbrough.”