Punter places 'largest political bet ever' with £400,000 wager on Scotland voting No

At odds of 1/4 the unnamed man stands to make a profit of £100,000

Some punters have bet six-figure sums on the referendum (Getty Images)

A punter from Surrey has placed a £400,000 bet on a No vote in the Scottish independence referendum in what is believed to be the largest political bet ever staked, bookmaker William Hill has revealed.

The middle-aged man, who William Hill says did not have a Scottish accent, reportedly placed his bet at a shop in south-west London this morning using a banker's draft.

At odds of 1/4 the unnamed man stands to make a profit of £100,000 if the Scots vote No in the landmark referendum to be held on 18 September this year.

William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe said: "As far as we can ascertain, this is the biggest political bet ever struck.

"The previous record was a £200,000 bet also struck on a No vote in the Scottish referendum earlier in the campaign, and the same amount was gambled by a customer who backed David Cameron to become Tory leader."

The bookmaker has now shortened its odds on a No vote to 1/5, and is offering 10/3 on a Yes vote.

Mr Sharpe added: "We are now well on the way to turning over £1 million on the outcome of the Scottish referendum, which is exceeding our expectations."