The leader of Brent Council has warned that Brexit will see funding disappear from the EU which will have an impact on the borough.

Cllr Muhammed Butt said it’s too soon to say what the impact will be and is reassuring residents it won’t take place for a few years.

He said: “Through the European Social Fund a lot of money comes to us from Europe. It will be difficult.

“Triggering the Article 50 to leave will start negotiations and act as a stop watch. We have to wait for the outcome of these which will take 24 months and then time after that to implement them, so maybe four or five years.”

“People don’t know what’s going to happen, the government doesn’t even know.

“Considering that Michael Gove, George Osborne and Boris Johnson had absolutely no exit plans, it has been shocking to find out they went into the referendum without being prepared.”

The council is currently implementing £54million worth of cuts after the government slashed its funding resulting in services being cut back and job losses across the board.

Cllr Butt said: “We as councils will have to be involved in the negotiations as we are the ones facing a loss in funding. We need to be reassured any loss of funding will be mitigated against.

“There’s no change at the moment, we are going about our business and await the outcome. All of these things take time.”

In Brent 72,523 residents vote to stay in the European Union and 48,881 wanted to leave bucking the national trend.

“People come into Brent because it’s a welcoming place where we all work together as one community, that’s what unites us,” Cllr Butt added.

“It doesn’t matter where you are from, you are Brent residents and you are valued.”