Local EU Referendum count under way at Heywood Sports Village

Local EU Referendum count under way at Heywood Sports Village

The votes have been cast, the polls have closed and the count in the EU Referendum is under way throughout the country.

The Borough of Rochdale's votes are being counted at Heywood Sports Village and our reporter is there to bring you the local result as soon as it is declared.

Mark Widdup, Rochdale Borough Council Director of Neighbourhoods, said: "Everything has gone smoothly today from our point of view.

"Although we don't know the turnout figures yet, it looks like it has been a high turnout which is encouraging."

Heywood & Middleton MP Liz McInnes said: "I think the borough overall will vote to leave which is disppointing but not surprising.

"The turnout has been brilliant and that is a positive, that more people are getting engaged.

"I am hopeful that the national result will be remain."

The Leader of Rochdale Borough Council, Councillor Richard Farnell, said: "Obviously going to be close. We will have to sweat it out. I passionately hope that the vote is to remain.

"Our local economy depends on special grants we get for businesses to expand, create jobs and invest in the future.

"Hundreds of Rochdale firms export to Europe and it would be crazy if we turned our backs on tariff free single market of 500M people.

"I believe the future prospects of the town depend on looking outward and being part of the European Union."

Thomas Barnes, an out campaigner from Middleton who is at the count, said: "I have been interested in getting out of the EU for years. There is too much red tape for small and medium sized businesses. The fishing industry has been decimated, look at the coal industry and manufacturing. What has happened to our manufacturing industry? Who are we goverened by? We are capable of standing on our own two feet."

- - - - - - - - -

All the votes are being counted at 382 local centres around the UK and then added up - with a straight majority needed to provide the result.

These local results will be declared as the counts are completed before being collated at 12 regional centres, which will also declare the totals for each side.

There will be a rolling total so the time at which one side reaches the point of being mathematically unbeatable depends on how quickly the votes are counted and how close the results are running.

From 4am onwards there should be a clear picture of which way the vote is going.

A chief counting officer will announce the overall national result at Manchester Town Hall at a predicted time of between 4am-7am.