Brexit latest: Theresa May confronts Donald Tusk on Brexiteer hell jibe... as he says there is 'no breakthrough in sight'

Donald Tusk said there was "no breakthrough in sight" for the Brexit impasse after he was confronted by Theresa May over his hell jibe.

Mrs May said she raised Mr Tusk's remark about there being a "special place in hell" for Brexiteers who backed leaving the EU with no plan as she met with him on Thursday.

The PM said the comments had caused "widespread dismay in the UK" and branded it "unhelpful".

She had travelled to Brussels on Thursday to discuss Britain's departure from the bloc and state that legally binding changes were needed on the withdrawal agreement. The EU has refused to back down and said renogotiations will not be reopened.

Mrs May said she addressed with the president of the European Council "the language that he used yesterday, which was not helpful and caused widespread dismay in the United Kingdom".

Mr Tusk heightened tensions between Westminster and Brussels on Wednesday when he said: "I've been wondering what that special place in hell looks like, for those who promoted Brexit, without even a sketch of a plan on how to carry it out safely."

He gave a bleak take on his meeting with Mrs May on Thursday.

After their meeting, he tweeted: "Meeting PM Theresa May on how to overcome impasse on Brexit. Still no breakthrough in sight. Talks will continue."

Mr Tusk made the hell remark while speaking alongside Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar following talks in Brussels on Wednesday.

MPs including leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom and veteran Conservative Peter Bone expressed their anger at the remark.

The furore was compounded later that day when European Parliament's Brexit co-ordinator Guy Verhofstadt has said "Lucifer would not welcome" the Brexiteers Mr Tusk described in hell.

Mr Verhofstadt retweeted Mr Tusk's comment alongside his own and ended the post with a smiling face emoji.

He previously served as the prime minister of Belgium and is known for his repeated spats with staunch Brexiteer and former Ukip leader Nigel Farage.

Mrs May's discussions with the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, were described as "robust but constructive".

During talks he stated the European Union will not renegotiate the Brexit deal.

He added the bloc was ready to work more on the accompanying political declaration of EU-UK new ties after Brexit, which is seperate to the withdrawal agreement.

A joint statement said Mrs May "raised various options" to address MPs' concerns about the Irish border backstop.

The two agreed their teams would work together on "whether a way through can be found".