Calls for a referendum into plans for an elected mayor for East Anglia have been made on a petition to parliament.

The online protest - which was set up by David Michael Brown - says it is 'fundamentally undemocratic' to change the nature of local democracy without consultation.

Currently only 86 people have signed the petition, but if 10,000 people back the motion the government will have to respond, and 100,000 names could trigger a parliamentary debate.

It comes after the Chancellor announced in his budget that 22 out of 23 leaders in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire has signed an agreement which would see £30m a year for the next 30 years and a £175m to boost housing devolved to the region under the control of an elected mayor.

The motion in the petition says: 'It is fundamentally undemocratic to change the nature of our local democracy without full consultation with the people who will be effected by the proposals. The proposals should be temporarily withdrawn until such time as due consultation and a referendum have been held.

'Where is the accountability, democracy and transparency in these proposals?

'Were these proposals put to the people at the 2015 General Election?

'What evidence is there that showing the electorate support such changes?'

The petition can be viewed at https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/124849