Welsh Labour has slammed a "£9 billion black hole" in Plaid Cymru's European election campaign.

Gareth Williams, a Welsh Labour candidate in next month's elections to the Brussels parliament, accused the nationalists of being "economically illiterate".

He said the spending cuts would mean the loss of 20,000 public sector jobs or a £3,170 tax hike for every person in Wales.

Williams claimed the spending cuts would be the consequence of Plaid's call for Welsh independence.

The nationalists say their policy would give Wales a greater say in EU affairs and would increase the number of MEPs the country is entitled to.

But Labour said an independent Wales "would face an immediate shortfall of £9,205 million in spending on public services per year".

"The centrepiece of Plaid's European manifesto is an absolute farce," said Williams.

"It is the most ridiculous job creation programme ever.  In return for getting five new members of the European parliament, an independent Wales would be forced to make a 38 per cent cut in public services.

"This is the equivalent of making over 1,200 police officers, more than 7,000 nurses, nearly 1,500 doctors and over 10,500 teachers redundant.

"The nationalists are even more economically illiterate than the Tories. 

"They make Michael Howard look like a moderate and Oliver Letwin look like a Harvard economics professor."