A Conservative councillor is calling on the UK Government to class any move to rejoin the European Union as an act of treason.

Christian Holliday, who was a leading Vote Leave activist in Guildford, Surrey, has launched the initiative through Westminster's official petitions system.

The Conservative councillor wants the government to amend the Treason Felon Act to ensure it is illegal to "imagine, devise, promote, work or encourage others to support UK becoming a member of the European Union" or for people to "conspire with foreign powers to make the UK, or part of the UK, become a member of the EU".

The act, which carries life in prison as a possible punishment, has not been used to prosecute anyone since 1883. It was devised to make republicanism in Britain illegal in 1848.

Petitions which gather 10,000 signatures merit a response from the UK Government, while that who gather 100,000 can be considered for a debate in the House of Commons. Holliday's currently has over 1000 signatures.

Following the publication of the petition, Holliday has been suspended by the Guildford Conservative Council group. The party control the public body.

Council leader Paul Spooner  said: "I suspended him because he used the plight of the Council in his petition without consulting any member of the team.

"Although he was doing it as an individual he used the name of Councillor so I believe he brought the role of the council into disrepute."

The petition is one of many which has been sparked by the EU referendum result.

Current petitions include a call for "all European Union flags, emblems and logos to be removed from all public buildings". It has attracted almost 19,000 signatures.

Britain voted to leave the EU by a margin of 52% to 48%.