A EUROPEAN politician said jobs would be under threat if Britain left the EU - after the head of an Amersham-based firm called on the UK to remain in Europe.

Prime Minister David Cameron has said a referundum over Britain's future in Europe will be held if the Conservatives win the next General Election.

But south east MEP Catherine Bearder said pulling out of the EU would cost millions of people their jobs.

She made the warning after Ferdinando Beccalli-Falco, the chief executive of the GE Europe group - whose healthcare department employs over 1,000 at its Amersham - said: "It wouldn’t be good for England; it wouldn’t be good for Europe.

"I really hope that England is not going to leave the European Union."

Mrs Bearder said: "The investment and jobs that our membership of the European Union provides is the main reason why I believe so passionately that we should stay in the EU.

"Those that want to pull us out of Europe threaten millions of jobs across the country, including in Amersham.

"There is nothing patriotic about putting jobs at risk."

The Liberal Democrat member added: "GE Healthcare in Amersham is a real success story and we should be doing more to allow them to grow further by working on new trade deals and cutting more red tape. Both things I’m already proud of having done in my time in the European Parliament."