THE leader of Worcestershire County Council has written to Chris Grayling to back a third runway at Heathrow Airport, it has emerged.

Councillor Simon Geraghty says the post-Brexit "uncertainty" would be handed a significant boost if the new-look Government is prepared to sink billions into expanding Britain's largest airport.

The Conservative also says better aviation links would help Worcestershire attract more inward investment, and has invited Mr Grayling to the county for talks.

Mr Grayling, who backed Brexit in last month's referendum, was appointed Transport Secretary by new Prime Minister Theresa May a fortnight ago.

Councillor Geraghty's intervention comes at a time when the airport has become a hot topic post-Brexit, after Boris Johnson landed a new job as Foreign Secretary.

In his letter, Councillor Geraghty said: "Britain’s network of airports is the backbone of the aviation industry - a success story contributing £50 billion a year in growth and supporting one million jobs.

"We should be building on that success and future-proofing it by delivering the recommendations made clear by The Airports Commission."

He then asks Mr Grayling to ensure "skilled jobs are created across the country" during its construction to benefit this county.

In the letter he also calls for "a new western rail link" to plug Heathrow into the trains network, and asks him to draw up a plan "to secure regular, frequent flights from our regions and nations".

Councillor Geraghty then points to the Brexit uncertainty, saying: "In the current uncertain times, investment in Britain’s infrastructure is even more important to support growth across the country.

"Even during construction, infrastructure development creates skilled jobs and an economic boost for improvements to local economies.

"The continued investment in Heathrow is an essential decision to make."

The third runway at Heathrow is in some doubt under Mrs May's premiership, but last week Mr Grayling said he would aim to make a swift decision either way.

Mr Grayling, who was Commons Leader before the promotion, will ensure High Speed Two (HS2) is rolled out over the coming years despite criticism in some Tory heartlands.

Councillor Geraghty wants the new Transport Secretary to visit Worcestershire to see all the upgrade work to roads and railways around the county in recent years - like Bromsgrove station and the Parkway plans.