HERE'S one highly successful Worcestershire entrepreneur backing a Brexit - after clawing his way to the top on NON-EU trade.

Neil Westwood, from Magic Whiteboard, came to fame back in 2008 when his small company went onto BBC show Dragon's Den where Theo Paphitis and Deborah Meaden sunk in £10,000.

Seven years on the firm, based in Worcester, is one of the city's most impressive small flagship operations, trading around the world.

Yet Mr Westwood, who last year bought Margaret Thatcher's old House of Lords robes at an auction for £85,000. says "70 per cent" of his business is done outside the EU.

The 43-year-old has delivered a devastating critique of the trading bloc, saying it's full of "meddling" politicians.

"Because I've been in business I believe in the free market, and I don't like politicians meddling - especially ones I don't know," he said.

"I like Europe and European people, we employ them with us on work experience, but I don't like the EU.

"Most small businesses in this country don't trade with the EU anyway, plumbers, builders, Pinches Transport in Blackpole - they just don't need it.

"And yet we send £10,000 million every year to the EU from this country, nobody can tell me that is good value for money."

He also told the Worcester News he felt a Brexit would give the economy a boost - the complete opposite of the Remain camp's stance.

"You cannot justify spending £10,000 million a year and for that reason alone I'll be voting out," he said.

"But this isn't negative for me, leaving the EU would be a positive thing - we could use that money to invest in UK businesses, create jobs and even cut taxes.

"That money could fund the jobs of 300,000 nurses, for example. I'm really positive about leaving."

He also said he is confident the firm, based at Blackpole West Industrial Estate, will not only sustain itself but grow without being in the trading bloc.

"We can trade with non-EU countries anyway, we sell Magic Whiteboard to 20 countries and 70 per cent are outside the EU," he insisted.

"Customers buy goods because they are good products and they want them, they don't buy goods just because we are in the EU.

"Far from being a disaster, it is an opportunity to create jobs and invest."

The stance comes after the Remain camp were left reeling by some negative headlines around the referendum.

It emerged yesterday that the EU's foreign policy chief has drafted secret proposals towards a European army, which is believed to have the support of Germany.

But the proposals are widely disputed, with army generals in the UK said to have denounced it and David Cameron insisting a British veto is in place in any event, dating as far back as 2011.

Figures released yesterday revealed how net migration reached a record 330,000 last year, including 77,000 EU migrants who had no job when they arrived.

The number of net arrivals would have filled Wembley stadium five times over, leaving David Cameron's pledge to cut net migration to the "tens of thousands" in tatters.