EU referendum: Gibraltar backs Remain in first result of the night

Remain has taken 96 per cent of the vote in the EU referendum in Gibraltar, the first area to declare.

More than 19,300 people there voted for Remain compared to just over 800 for Leave.

Gibraltar, which was always expected to be strongly for staying in the EU, was also the first seat to declare its turnout. It was particularly high – at 83.7 per cent.

A record number of voters are eligible to take part in the referendum across the country as a whole, with the Electoral Commission putting the number at 46,499,537.

The turnout at the last general election in Gibraltar was just over 70%.

The government of the territory is strongly in favour of the UK remaining in the EU.

The next result is expected to come from the counters in Newcastle or Sunderland, traditionally among the first to report in general elections. Gibraltar, not normally a seat in those, is an hour ahead and relatively small – with just 20,174 voters in total.