The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) have branded Theresa May's bid for a Brexit extension as humiliating and embarrassing.

Party leader Arlene Foster and Westminster leader Nigel Dodds both accused Ms May of "begging" European leaders for help to break the impasse.

The senior figures in the Government's confidence and supply partners did not hold back in their criticism of the prime minister's handling of the process as she spent the day holding talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron.

"The talks between the prime minister and the leaders of France and Germany is humiliating and embarrassing for the United Kingdom," Mr Dodds said. "The problems the Prime Minister is attempting to solve were not created by the decision to leave the European Union, rather the ineffective negotiations by the Prime Minister to implement that decision.

"A solution was put forward by the House of Commons on 29th January through the Brady amendment which could have charted a course by which Parliament could have supported a deal. Instead of treating this proposal seriously, the prime minister has effectively accepted the backstop and opted not to stand up to Brussels.

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"Nearly three years after the referendum the UK is today effectively holding out a begging bowl to European leaders."

Earlier, Mrs Foster questioned Mrs May's leadership qualities.

"She needed to be strong, she needed to show leadership, and I'm sorry to say that hasn't been evident in these past couple of months," she told the BBC.

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Mrs Foster said the prime minister had found herself "pleading" to stay in the EU to resolve issues that should have been already settled.

"I find it quite painful to watch what's going on at this present moment in time, it is rather humiliating that we are having to go and beg so that we can leave," she said.