German Chancellor Angela Merkel has told Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that a physical border must be an option as a no-deal Brexit approaches.

An agreement regarding the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic has remained the main stumbling block to the UK securing a proper deal for Brexit.

Mr Varadkar has remained firm on his promise that no physical border will be erected in the event of a hard Brexit come March 29.

Mrs Merkel is apparently becoming unhappy with that stance and informed Mr Varadkar that a border should remain on the table.

A Bloomberg report said that during the 40-minute phone call, Merkel said that having no border put in place favours those in the UK who are championing Brexit.

Mr Varadkar was said to have remained firm on his stance during the chat and said that any physical border would only be a target for violence.

Having no border long-term, should there be no backstop or proper deal in place, may not be realistic, though.

Reports in the UK have suggested that members of Prime Minister Theresa May’s government colleagues who supported Brexit are in favour of a five year limit on a potential backstop.

The Irish government will insist that the UK continues to agree that a hard border can’t be put in place.

No border between the north and south could mean that a border will be enforced further into the continent, according to MEP Philippe Lamberts who spoke to Der Speigel.

In response, Mr Varadkar said: ‘We are founder members of the single market.

‘We can’t allow a decision made in Britain to leave the European Union to undermine our membership of the single market and customs union, which we will protect.’