Brexit: Theresa May arrives at European Council to lay out plans for EU citizens' rights

It is her first meeting with European leaders since the general election in the UK

The Prime Minister spoke as she entered the Council building, choosing to ignore the thrust of reporters' questions in favour of repeating three times how she intends to table proposals on EU citizens' rights.

She also argued that the start of withdrawal talks earlier in the week had been "constructive", despite her Brexit Secretary David Davis being forced into an embarrassing U-turn.

Ms May had called her election while promising to strengthen her hand so that she could better negotiate Brexit, and then caused outrage by accusing European leaders of trying to swing the vote.

But with talks under way she is due to use a dinner event on Thursday evening to outline how she intends to ensure the rights of EU and British citizens are protected after Brexit.

Asked how talks would go with her new weakened Government, she said it had been a "very constructive start", adding: "But it's also about how we will build a future special and deep partnership with our friends and allies in Europe.

"Today, I'm going to be setting out some of the UK's plans, particularly on how we propose to protect the rights of EU citizens and UK citizens as we leave the European Union."

After referencing an intention to work on counter-terrorism, she was asked whether the UK would compromise with EU negotiators, responding: "We will be going into negotiations. Those have started constructively.

"What I'm going to be setting out today is clearly how the United Kingdom proposes to protect the rights of EU citizens living in the UK, and see the rights of UK citizens living in Europe protected.

"That's been an important issue. We've wanted it to be one of the early issues that's considered in the negotiations, that is now the case, that work is starting. We will be setting out how we propose that EU citizens living in the UK have their rights protected in the United Kingdom."