SALISBURY will be one of the areas worst hit by a no-deal Brexit, with heavy job losses predicted, leaked government documents reportedly reveal.

The city, which voted to leave, is one of 33 UK cities – including Swindon, York, and Oxford – most vulnerable to a rise in unemployment if the country crashes out of the European Union, according to papers seen by The Sunday Times.

The documents do not say which sectors will be the hardest hit in the Salisbury area.

The UK is set to leave the European Union on October 31, with the government currently pressing to secure a deal before that date.

Marked "official sensitive", and requiring security clearance on a "need to know" basis, the documents were put together as part of Operation Kingfisher earlier this year. In August, the government said it had been working on the papers so that any businesses that were affected by changes of circumstances related to Brexit could be supported.

The article published by The Sunday Times says that the documents highlight "areas vulnerable to a shock by virtue of having large plants, in vulnerable sectors, with labour markets that would struggle to cope".

The Treasury said it would not comment on leaked documents.

The documents also reveal that 29 of the 33 worst-hit places set to lose the most jobs voted leave in the 2016 referendum.

In response to the leaking of the documents, Salisbury MP John Glen said: "I have not seen the document that was leaked to The Sunday Times so I am unable to comment on what has been reported.

"The government is determined to reach an agreement with the European Union and leaving without a deal has never been my preferred outcome.

"We are doing all we can to ensure we exit with an agreement in place whilst also preparing to mitigate the risks of a no deal scenario if we are unable to negotiate an acceptable outcome.”