Speaking on Friday morning after his party added four seats to its tally, the Liberal Democrat leader accused Ms May of being "arrogant and vain" and said if she had "an ounce of self respect" she would step down.

"She should consider her future - and then, for once, she should consider the future of our country," he told activists at the party’s headquarters in London.

Mr Farron said the Tory leader had laid out an “extreme” vision for Brexit which had been roundly rejected by the electorate.

He said Brexit negotiations should be put on hold amid the confusion of a hung parliament.

It was a bruising night for Ms May as voters shocked political pundits and pollsters by delivering a surge in support for Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party.

While the Tories gained 5.5 per cent of the vote share, the party lost 12 seats, leaving the Prime Minister humiliated.

The Lib Dems will now have 12 MPs in Parliament, up from eight before the election, although they dropped by half a percentage point on share of the vote.

Labour saw its vote share climb almost 10 per cent, increasing the party's presence in the Commons by 29.

General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Show all 7 1 /7 General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Nick Clegg Picture By Darren O'Brien/Guzelian Picture Shows Former MP, Nick Clegg delivers a speech despite losing the Sheffield Hallam Seat. Labour candidate, Jared O'Mara (Front), defeats Nick Clegg to take the Sheffield Hallam seat. picture taken 08/06/2017 Darren O'Brien General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Gavin Barwell LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 07: Gavin Barwell MP arrives at Number 10 Downing Street on October 7, 2013 in London, England. British Prime Minister David Cameron announced a Government reshuffle today. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images) Getty General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Angus Robertson General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Nicola Blackwood PA General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Alex Salmond PA General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Rob Wilson Mandatory Credit: Photo by Geoffrey Swaine/REX (1096138i) Rob Wilson, Conservative MP for Reading Funeral of Murdered Student Asha Muneer at Rivermead Leisure Centre, Reading, Britain - 28 Jan 2010 Rex Features General Election 2017: Big beasts who lost their seats Ben Gummer Minister for the Cabinet Office Ben Gummer arriving at 10 Downing Street, London for the weekly cabinet meeting. PA

Mr Farron said EU exit talks were "about to get very real" and warned the "consequences will be felt by every single person in this country".

"It is simply inconceivable that the Prime Minister can begin the Brexit negotiations in just two weeks' time,” he added.

"The negotiations should be put on hold until the Government has reassessed its priorities and set them out to the British public.

"The British people have a right to expect that our Prime Minister will explain to them what it is that she seeks to achieve."

General Election 2017: The biggest shocks

Mr Farron also paid tribute to the former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, who lost his Sheffield Hallam seat to Labour's Jared O Mara with a majority of 2,125.

He continued: "The referendum showed us to be a dangerously divided country.

"This election has highlighted those divisions in Technicolor: young against old, rich against poor, north against south, urban against rural.