DUP Leader Arlene Foster has said she wants the EU to work together with the British government to find a solution that would neither result in a return of a hard border nor isolate Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr show, Ms Foster said she would like to see more pragmatism from the EU over future arrangements after Brexit.

Ms Foster also said she is waiting to hear the British government’s plans to deal with future customs arrangements with the European Union.

Ms Foster said she does not believe Northern Ireland has to stay in the customs union to have free-flow across the border.

"I think it is very clear that the British people voted to leave the customs union, that is our position as well," she said.

She added: "We do not believe that we have to stay in the customs union to have free flow between ourselves and the Republic of Ireland."

"We believe that there are ways to deal with this and indeed back in August last year the government put forward various proposals - we were disappointed there was not the engagement from the European Union.

"What we would like to see from the EU is less rhetoric and more engagement in relation to the pragmatic way forward," she said.

The British government has said it is taking its time to make sure it comes to the right decision on a future customs arrangement with the EU.

UK business minister Greg Clark said the government is working on its two proposals.

Speaking on the same programme, Mr Clark said: "As part of the work over the next few weeks I think it would be a mistake to move from one situation and to another and to a third."

"If we can make progress ... as to what the right arrangement is in the long-term, it might be possible to bring that in over that period of time (of a two-year transition period)."

Sinn Féin MEP Martina Anderson said the DUP is continuing to ignore the views of the people of the North on Brexit.

Martina Anderson said: "Once again Arlene Foster has shown that she and the DUP are continuing to ignore the views of the people of the north on Brexit.

"The fact is that the majority of people from the north, from all backgrounds, voted to remain in the EU.

"The British government need to come up with credible proposals in the current Brexit negotiations which would give effect to the views of the majority of people in the north."