DONALD Tusk was caught smirking after being told he would get in "terrible trouble" over his "special place in hell" Brexiteers jibe.

The sneering Eurocrat has been urged to apologise over the Twitter outburst.

But the European Council president, 61, was filmed laughing after a press conference with the Irish leader Leo Varadkar who had told him he would get "terrible trouble" over the rant.

Tusk had caused uproar with his explosive comments, which came as leaders are urgently looking for a compromise deal to ensure that Brexit happens on time and as planned.

Guy Verhofstadt, the EU's Brexit co-ordinator, picked up on Tusk's comments and also taunted Brexiteers.

He wrote: "I doubt Lucifer would welcome them, as after what they did to Britain, they would even manage to divide Hell."

MPs have reacted with fury and accused Tusk of deliberately pushing Britain towards No Deal.

Mr Tusk told journalists today at a conference in Brussels: "By the way, I have been wondering what that special place in hell looks like for those who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan to carry it (out) safely."

He then doubled down by tweeting the same comment just seconds later, and was seen laughing on camera about the backlash.

There are just 50 days to go until we leave the EU and "our most important task is to prevent a No Deal scenario", Mr Tusk stressed.

But he said that Brussels would make "no new offer" to the UK to help get Theresa May's deal through the House of Commons, despite MPs clearly rejecting it last month over the hated Northern Irish border plan.

The "top priority" for the bloc was to "maintain the peace process in accordance with the Good Friday Agreement", Mr Tusk said.

"We will not gamble with peace or put a sell-by date on the resolution. This is why we insist on the backstop," he added.

And he admitted the idea of a second Brexit referendum to remain in the EU was dead because both Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May wouldn't let it happen.

"Today, there is no political force and no effective leadership for remain," he said.

However, later on that day Mr Tusk's EU colleague Jean Claude Juncker insisted: "I believe in heaven".

MPs instantly hit back furiously at Mr Tusk to insist we DO have a plan for leaving, and his comments just made it more likely we'd leave without a deal.

DUP MP Sammy Wilson branded him a "devilish, trident-wielding euro maniac" and said he was doing the best to keep us tied to the EU.

"It is Tusk and his arrogant EU negotiators who have fanned the flamed of fear in an attempt to try and overturn the result of the referendum," he stormed.

Tory MP Nick Boles added: "Donald Tusk has just encapsulated perfectly why I do not believe the UK can remain a member of the EU. We must leave, with a deal."

Brexiteer MP Andrea Jenkyns hit out too, saying: "Mr Tusk, we have a plan! We are not restricted in our Little EU'er mentality.

"Bring on Global Britain, we will embrace Global Free trade. Whilst you will continue to see the inflexible EU trading bloc in collective, perpetual decline."

'NO DEAL MORE LIKELY'
A No10 spokesperson insisted that it was a "question for Donald Tusk as to whether he thinks the use of that language to be helpful."

However, Commons leader Andrea Leadsom added: "The man has no manners. I think it's extremely regrettable, not at all helpful."

And Matt Hancock added: "It's this sort of arrogance that drives antipathy towards the EU.

"We are a country that upholds the result of democratic votes. Our EU partners need to respect that."

Tory MP Grant Shapps raged that Mr Tusk's infuriating comments were just making no deal more likely: "By saying "there is a special place in hell for those who promoted #Brexit without any plan for how to carry it [out]", you appear to be actively trying to wind everyone up & even deliberately foil securing a #WithdrawalAgreement. IT'S ENOUGH!"

Paul Scully said it was the EU who prevented us discussing a free trade deal upfront which would have solved the Irish border issue months ago.

He added: "Shame one of the many EU leaders has chosen inflammatory language and a skewed position."

However, Remainer and second referendum campaigner Phillip Lee, who quit the Government over Brexit, insisted that the sneering politician was actually correct in his assessment that there was no plan for leaving the EU.

He said his comments were "based on reality" and he blamed "reckless, shallow politicians" who promised Brexit they couldn't deliver.

The huge row comes as Irish PM Leo Varadkar is in Brussels today for talks with EU leaders.

It was claimed earlier that Angela Merkel may be set to encourage Dublin to accept a technological solution for the Irish border - if Britain can come up with it.

Talks are ongoing today back in London over the so-called Plan C - a compromise agreement from Remainers and Leavers working together.

Mrs May will fly to Dublin on Friday for talks with the Irish PM, Mr Varadkar.

He insisted today that there was no way the EU would sign off anything without the backstop in it - and he would do everything possible to avoid a hard border with the EU after we leave.

And he was "concerned" about the idea of so-called alternative arrangements because "they can mean whatever you want them to mean."

Mr Juncker added today: "The so-called alternative arrangements can never replace the backstop.

"The backstop is not the backstop for the pleasure of it, it's needed for obvious, vital reasons."