Activists on both sides of the Brexit debate clashed in Gloucester today before a county-level push for a second referendum failed.

Pro-EU campaigners had been galvanised by an attempt to get the county council to support a vote on the final Brexit deal and held a rally in advance.

But they were met on the steps of Shire Hall by UKIP members who countered the demonstration with a loudspeaker playing Nigel Farage quotes.

At one point activists jostled in front of a camera with their respective flags and signs, leading one to say “I’ll have you for assault.”

Inside Shire Hall, county councillors debated whether to support the People’s Vote campaign, which advocates another referendum on Brexit.

“We want the people to make the final decision,” explained Liberal Democrat leader on the council Paul Hodgkinson, who had tabled the People’s Vote motion, claiming recent polling showed a majority of the public in favour of another vote.

“The British public are increasingly demanding a vote on the terms of our departure from the EU,” he said.

“By adding this council’s voice to the clamour, the Conservative government will finally listen to the will of the people.”

But Conservative county councillors - who have a majority on the council - were unconvinced and shot down the motion.

“The repeated message I’ve heard on the doorstep is: ‘Get on with it’,” countered Mark Hawthorne, the Conservative leader on the council.

“And we were under no doubt the 2016 referendum was a once in a generation vote.”

Among the UKIP members rallying outside Shire Hall was Glen Gogerly, the party’s parliamentary candidate for Stroud.

He later said: “We believe that the council wasted taxpayers money and their time debating this today and should have concentrated on county matters rather than something that is out of their jurisdiction.”

The county council is not the first local authority in Gloucestershire to decide whether to support the People's Vote campaign.

Stroud district councillors voted to lobby for another referendum in August, including by writing to Stroud MP David Drew and Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, MP for The Cotswolds.

What do you think? Should there be another Brexit vote? Should councils in Gloucestershire be weighing in? Vote below and let us know in the comments.