VOTERS in South Gloucestershire have followed the controversial national trend to back the “Leave” campaign in the historic EU Referendum.

Margins have been tight across the country for only the third referendum in the history of the UK, with the battle for Brexit being won in the county by 52.7 per cent to 47.3 per cent.

76.2% of the electorate in South Gloucestershire turned out to vote, with a total of 83,405 votes for “Leave” and 74,928 votes to “Remain”.

Nationally, it is estimated that around 52 per cent of the vote backed the decision to terminate membership to the European Union.

Following the results, David Cameron has announced this morning that he would step down as Prime Minister in the next few months, stating that the country required "fresh leadership".

The South West has been one of the most divisive in the country with constituencies like North Somerset, South Somerset, Wiltshire and the Forest of Dean also voting to leave the EU, while Bristol, Stroud and North East Somerset voted to stay.

Filton and Bradley Stoke MP Jack Lopresti told the Gazette he was elated by the results.

He said: "It has been a fantastic day and a great night. This is a fresh new start for the country. It's amazing."

The Conservative MP and Leave co-ordinator for the South West added: "You always hope for the best and work hard and now the people have spoken and we are very pleased with the result."

Meanwhile Remain campaigner and Westerleigh Lib Dem Cllr Claire Young said the South Gloucestershire vote was down to the demographics of the district.

She added: “It is a huge concern that we appear to be a divided nation.

“Obviously there was a huge part of the population unhappy with our situation. Now we have all got to ask some pretty big questions.

“How do we bring this country, and more locally, back together? There is a huge difference in views and how do we reconcile that and find a way forward when we are so divided?”

She said: “I have been campaigning for months to Remain because I believed that was better for the country and for our area, for jobs, the economy and for so many reasons. We had experts and big businesses supporting and yet there something, a gut feeling, an unhappiness that has driven us this way.”

For more updates from the count in Thornbury, visit The Gazette's live blog at http://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/14577403.EU_Referendum__South_Gloucestershire_decides/