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Theresa May has been ridiculed for claiming her government has looked at US-Canada customs as it tries to solve the Irish border problem after Brexit .

The Prime Minister made the comment as she tries to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

She told MPs in the Commons: "There are many examples of different arrangements for customs around the rest of the world.

"Indeed we are looking at those, including for example the border between the United States and Canada."

But she was slapped down almost immediately by Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who said: "I visited the US-Canada border, I visited it back in August.

"And I saw a hard border with physical infrastructure with customs posts, people in uniforms with arms and dogs .

"That is definitely not a solution that is one that we can possibly entertain."

Labour MP Chris Leslie tweeted a photo from the US border.

The supporter of the pro-EU Open Britain group added: "Anyone who's visited the US-Canada border will know that it's a very hard border indeed - with customs checks, barriers and armed guards.

"Leave campaigners told us there'd be 'no change' to the border if we voted to leave the EU.

"That promise is looking less deliverable by the day."

Brexit Secretary David Davis has previously highlighted the operation of the frontier near the Ford plant in Detroit as an example of how cross-border trade can operate smoothly.

But it was pointed out to the Prime Minister by shadow Brexit minister Jenny Chapman that there were "armed customs guards" at the US-Canada border.

Squirming Mrs May replied the Government was looking at arrangements "in a number of countries".

Earlier on Monday, Mr Varadkar ruled out formal three-way talks between the UK, Ireland and the EU to look at Mrs May's Brexit offer.

(Image: Getty) (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Updating MPs on her plans, Mrs May said the UK and Irish governments and the European Commission "will be working together" to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

But Mr Varadkar said it was not in Ireland's interests to take part in formal three-way talks regarding the wider Brexit issues, and that what was needed was for Downing Street to produce more detailed proposals.

Mrs May again told MPs there would be no return to a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

She has rejected Brussels proposals that would see Northern Ireland kept in an effective customs union with the EU as a fallback in case other solutions cannot be found.

"As Prime Minister I am not going to let our departure from the EU do anything to set back the historic progress made in Northern Ireland," she said.

"Nor will I allow anything that would damage the integrity of our precious union.

"The UK and Irish governments and the European Commission will be working together to ensure that we fulfil these commitments."