Less than 10 per cent of residents in Stevenage, North East Beds and Mid Beds have backed a pro-EU petition to revoke Article 50.

The campaign, designed to force parliament to revoke Article 50 and keep the UK as an EU member, had just over six million signatures from residents nationwide when it closed last week.

However, in Stevenage 6,905 residents signed the petition - making up just 7.032 per cent of the local electorate - while Mid Beds had 9,810 signatories (8.859 per cent), and there were 10,422 in North East Beds (9.06 per cent).

In North East Herts the campaign was backed by 10,947 residents (10.904 per cent), while Hitchin and Harpenden had 16,696 show their support (16.112 per cent).

The figures suggest minimal local appetite for remaining in the EU - particularly in Stevenage, which echoes the 2016 referendum result that saw residents vote to leave by a margin of 9.2 per cent.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has come under fire this week after moving to suspend parliament for more than four weeks over September and October - limiting MPs' time to resolve the deadlock and raising fears of a no-deal Brexit.

Hitchin and Harpenden MP Bim Afolami said: "I do not like this abrupt prorogation. I do welcome the new session of parliament, which will reset the government's domestic plan after 26 months, but I dislike how it has been induced.

"However, everything needs to be in perspective. Parliament will sit for a fortnight in September, and afterwards the House returns on October 15 which is plenty of time for a deal to be agreed after the European Council on October 17 and approved by Members of Parliament."

In March, the government responded to the petition by stating that it will not revoke Article 50 and "will honour the result of the 2016 referendum and work with parliament to deliver a deal".