Out! Botham Says Exit To Prevent 'Cluttered' UK

Sir Ian Botham has come out to bat for the Vote Leave team, warning the UK could become "cluttered" if it does not withdraw from the European Union.

The former England cricketer was attending a Vote Leave event in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, with Boris Johnson and said he felt power had been "eroded by Brussels".

"We have a chance to govern ourselves again, look after our own borders. I just think we are losing our identity and eventually we'll get swallowed up," Sir Ian said.

He acknowledged there could be "teething problems" if the UK voted to go it alone, but he suggested if the country was being invited to join the bloc now it would "give it a very wide berth".

When asked if he had any concerns that jobs could be lost due to a Brexit, Sir Ian said: "If we stay, who's going to get those jobs?

"The people coming into our country, they don't seem to have to come over with a job, any qualifications, just turn up. I think it will get cluttered.

"If you want 100 million people in this country, then so be it if that's what you want, do it. But I don't think people really want that."

Beefy and Boris were not the only odd couple on the campaign trail on Monday.

Earlier the Prime Minister had appeared alongside London mayor Sadiq Khan , just weeks after David Cameron was accused of using racist slurs in an attempt to stop the Labour man from winning the post.

Mr Cameron hailed the "extraordinary coalition" brought together by the Remain campaign as they launched a Britain Stronger in Europe battle bus and a five-point "guarantee card" on the EU ahead of the 23 June vote.

"Sadiq and I say it for this reason: because we love our country, we want our country to be the best we possibly can, to be the strongest, to be the greatest."

Mr Khan said the economic case for remaining was "crystal clear" but added, "there is a patriotic case as well".

At the event in Chester-le-Street, Mr Johnson refused to be drawn on the question of Mr Cameron and Mr Khan sharing a platform .

"I'm not here to talk about personalities, and alliances and who talks to whom," he said. "My job in the next 23 days, whatever we have got left, is to get over our key messages.

"This is the only chance in our lifetimes to go for a new approach, a democratic approach, but still leading in Europe."