Boris Johnson hijacks his own daughter's graduation by unveiling a Brexit banner - but one defiant student marched up to collect her degree with a Remain poster

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Boris Johnson hijacked his own daughter's graduation today by unveiling a Brexit banner with just hours to go until polls close in the historic EU referendum 

As his 22-year-old daughter Lara was enjoying her big day at St Andrews University in Fife, Scotland, the leading Vote Leave campaigner waved a poster with the words: 'Last chance to vote'. 

But one student defied the ex-London Mayor by marching up to collect her degree with a Remain poster of her own as voters went to the polls across the country. 

Mr Johnson performed the stunt as he sat in the balcony of the Younger Hall alongside his wife Marina Wheeler QC, revealing the poster to the packed audience and causing mayhem as students then unveiled their own 'Remain' messages to the crowds. 

Lara Johnson was awarded a degree in Latin and Comparative Literature from the Scottish university. Her dad flew up to Scotland for the occasion, posing for selfies with excited students after four months of hard-fought campaigning to persuade voters to back Britain leaving the EU. 

Ali West said she could not pass up the opportunity to make the Remain case to Mr Johnson, insisting: 'Boris Johnson was in the audience at my graduation today, so naturally I had some thoughts.' 

The outcome of the referendum is too close to call, according to pollsters, but a series of final surveys conducted before voting began today showed the Remain campaign in the lead. 

Speaking this evening, the Leave champion said: 'From what I have heard and all the information is that turnout is good in areas where we need it to be.' 

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Boris Johnson turned out to vote tonight in London tonight after attending his daughter's graduation one defiant student defied his pro-Brexit claims at the event 

Boris Johnson (pictured talking to passers-by in St Andrews, Scotland, alongside his QC wife Marina Wheeler in the flowery dress and his daughter Lara, to the right of him) unveiled a Brexit banner at his daughter's graduation today with just hours to go until polls close in the historic EU referendum

Boris Johnson flew up to Scotland last night, posing for selfies with excited students after four months of hard-fought campaigning to persuade voters to back Britain leaving the EU

Boris Johnson has proved one of the most popular figures on both sides of the EU debate, with men, women and children stopping the blonde Brexit supporter for selfies throughout the UK

A witness to Mr Johnson's final stunt of the referendum campaign at St Andrews today told the Daily Record: 'It was all done very much tongue in cheek. Both posters got a huge cheer and round of applause. 

'Boris wasn't telling people who to vote for, just for them to get out there and make the effort.' 

His controversial stunt came on a historic day in British politics as millions of Britons defied the wet weather to queue in torrential rain and even wade through deep water to vote in the EU referendum. 

Several polling stations were closed in London because of floods as Britain was finally having its say on whether to stay in the EU or cut our ties with Brussels after a gruelling 10-week campaign.

Thundery showers caused chaos across London and the south of England overnight and could potentially push the result towards a Brexit because polling data is clear that Leave voters are less likely to be put off by the bad weather than Remain voters.

Today long queues snaked down the road from many polling stations as voters rushed to have their say when the polls opened at 7am.

David Cameron voted in Westminster with his wife Samantha this morning with the final EU referendum polls making the contest too close to call.

An exclusive survey for the Daily Mail and ITV News, gave the Remain camp a lead of six points, by 48 per cent to 42 per cent – but 11 per cent of electors said they were still undecided. 

The In camp are ahead of Leave by 52 per cent to 48 per cent, according to an Ipsos Mori survey for the Evening Standard this afternoon. To add further uncertainty to the outcome, 12 per cent of those polled said they could switch sides as they head for the polling booth.

But according to an online poll by Populus the Remain campaign is at 55 per cent compared to Leave on 45 per cent.

Today's EU vote is a historic day for Britain because it is only the third nationwide referendum ever to take place in the UK. A record 46.5million are registered to vote.  

Boris Johnson (pictured arriving in Edinburgh this morning) hijacked his own daughter's graduation today by unveiling a Brexit banner with just hours to go until polls close in the historic EU referendum

Best of British: Chelsea pensioners file into their polling station before casting their votes at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, west London

PM: David Cameron and his wife Samantha leave their Westminster polling station after voting in the EU referendum

Leaders: Jeremy Corbyn arrived to cast his vote at a polling station in Islington at around 9am, while Nigel Farage grins outside his polling station at his local primary school

Change of venue: A flooded polling station in Chessington, Surrey, this morning that had to be closed and moved elsewhere due to heavy overnight rain

It emerged today that senior Tory ministers on both sides of the EU debate are planning to calm the markets by backing Mr Cameron staying as Prime Minister whatever the outcome of the result.

They hope to shore up his support despite some Tory backbenches publicly revealing they will attempt to force him out of Downing Street because of his aggressive 'Project Fear' strategy during the referendum campaign that they blame for creating bitter divisions in the party. 

With turnout key to the result, torrential rain storms in Remain stronghold London meant the unseasonally bad weather could deter voters casting their ballots.

David Cameron ignored questions about the weather, saying only 'good morning' to the gathered media from across the world, as he and his wife Samantha cast their votes at Methodist Hall in Westminster.

Jeremy Corbyn arrived in positive mood to cast his vote at Pakeman primary school in his Islington constituency.

Asked if he was feeling confident the Labour leader smiled and said: 'Extremely, it's a very good day.'

On the outcome of the referendum he joked: 'You could either check the wind or check the bookies,' adding, 'the bookies usually get it right'.

He acknowledged the odds on his election as party leader last year had not been favourable, grinning as he said: 'I cost them (bookies) a lot of money.'

Nigel Farage was the first party leader to vote this morning - but refused to discuss why he missed the crucial final TV debate last night.

The announcement was met with surprise, with many expressing concern for Farage and his family as many believed only something truly terrible would make the politician pull out of the key debate.

However, it has now emerged that Mr Farage had simply decided to go to dinner with his eldest son Sam, who he hadn't seen for nine months.

Speaking outside his home in Kent today he said: 'Actually I do think we are in with a very strong chance, I do genuinely.

'But it's all about turnout and those soft remainers staying at home.' He did not elaborate on his reasons for missing last night's Channel 4 debate, saying only it was 'for family reasons'. 

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has said she is hopeful of a large turnout in Scotland in the European Union referendum as she cast her vote.

Accompanied by husband and SNP chief executive Peter Murrell at Broomhouse Community Hall in Glasgow, Scotland's First Minister greeted voters at the polling station and posed for pictures.

She said: 'I'm feeling really optimistic and have just voted with my head and my heart.

'From what I could see on social media the weather is very patchy across the UK.

'I saw reports of people turning up to vote in pouring rain, but it's blue skies and sunshine in Glasgow - as always - so it's perfect voting weather.'

Voting got under way at 7am in a ballot which could itself trigger a second vote on Scottish independence if the UK votes to leave. 

Teresa Hicks, from Stevenage, was turned away from her polling station after attempting to enter holding a 'Vote Leave' placard. Campaign literature is banned from polling stations. 

Willing to wait: Queues formed outside polling stations across many parts of the UK today people had their say despite terrible weather across swathes of the south, including here in West Hampstead, London

Treacherous: A voter hitches up her skirt having waded through deep water to vote at Grange Primary School in Newham, east London

People queue to vote in Clapham, left, and in Dulwich, right, at busier than usual polling stations across the country today

Deluge: A flooded car park outside a polling station in Chessington, south London, where people struggled to vote this morning

Record numbers: Voters queue to enter a polling station in Reading at 7am as 46.5m have the chance to vote today - the highest number in history

Historic day: Voters in Islington, north London, arrive to vote as polls for the EU referendum opened today as Britain finally gets its say over whether to stay or leave - but the poor weather could hit turnout

Big day: A voter enters a polling station for the Referendum on the European Union in Heald Green, Stockport as up to 46.5million have the right to go to the polls

In or out? Britons will today answer this question - whether they want to remain in the EU or leave 

Rising waters in the south-east has led to the closure of several polling stations today.

The first voters to turn up to their local polling booth in Devon Way, Chessington, Surrey, were able to get inside to vote after wading through huge puddles first.

However heavy rain persisted and the puddles eventually enveloped the inside of the building - forcing council bosses to relocate the polling booth to the nearby Hook Centre.

Kingston Council also shut the polling station at the Shiraz Mirza community hall in Malden Manor, telling voters to instead head to the Lawrence Avenue Children's Centre.  

Dozens of voters were unable to have their say in the EU referendum today following an error at a polling station.

Some residents in Leighton Buzzard, Beds., were not included on the registration list and were turned away when they turned up to cast their vote.

Angry locals hassled MPs outside Linslade polling station for the 'total shambles', and Central Beds Council eventually made arrangements for voters who'd missed out.  

Out of 3,754 polling stations in the capital, five opened late, a spokeswoman for London Councils said.

In Newham, east London, two stations opened slightly later due to issues with staff travel and flooding, and one station in Tower Hamlets, east London, and one in Redbridge, north-east London, were also affected.

Barking and Dagenham Council in east London apologised when a polling station had to be closed after a water main burst.

A council spokesman said: 'Due to flooding caused as a result of a burst water main, the polling station at St Thomas More Church, Longbridge Road, has had to be relocated.

'We are glad to say that we were able to notify and signpost affected residents first thing this morning.'

The polling station has been relocated to two sites within walking distance.

Big crowd: Journalists and members of the public photograph the Prime Minister and his wife as they cast their votes

Leave: Brexit campaigner Michael Gove and his wife Sarah Vine arrive at their west London polling station this morning. Earlier Mr Gove went out running in the London rain

Scotland's First Minister and Leader of the SNP Nicola Sturgeon poses for photographers after voting at a polling station at Broomhouse Community Hall in east Glasgow

A group of nuns smile and wave as they leave their local polling station in north London earlier today

Abroad: Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and his wife Justine vote in the EU Referendum at a polling station in Gibraltar

Meanwhile at a polling station in Stevenage voter Teresa Hicks was turned away from her polling station after attempting to enter holding a 'Vote Leave' placard. Campaign literature is banned from polling stations.

Exclusive Mail polling shows that the Leave campaign's key message that now is the time for Britain to 'take control' of its own destiny has had the biggest cut-through with voters.

Some 44 per cent said it made them more likely to vote to quit the Brussels club – outstripping the claim by Project Fear that leaving is a leap in the dark.   

In a slew of other polls, Leave either led or the contest was neck and neck. The ComRes poll for the Mail reveals Britain is a divided country with over 45s and those in the North breaking heavily for Leave.

All age groups below 45 appear in favour of staying with 64 per cent of those aged 25 to 34 wanting to stay and 27 per cent opting to go. Among the 55 to 65 age group, however, just 31 per cent want to Remain and 55 per cent want to Leave.

In the South 38 per cent want to Leave while 51 per cent want to stay. But in the North, it is 41 per cent Remain and 50 per cent Leave. The Midlands is almost exactly balanced with 45 per cent support for Remain and 44 per cent for Leave.

Overall, after 'don't knows' are counted, Remain would lead 54 per cent to 46 per cent. The poll of 1,032 adults was conducted over the weekend, during part of which the campaign was halted after the murder of the Labour MP Jo Cox.

Some 17 per cent say that they may still change their mind.

The reputation of key politicians has been hit. The number of voters citing David Cameron as important in their decision has fallen from 34 per cent in May to 26 per cent now.

Only a third of Britons say Mr Cameron would be the best person to negotiate Britain's withdrawal from the EU as Prime Minister in the event of Brexit, though this is higher than anyone else.

In a blow for Chancellor George Osborne, his warning that house prices will be lower in the event of Brexit made people more likely to vote Leave than Remain – by 17 per cent to 20 per cent.

Last night a flurry of eve-of-referendum polls suggested the result is still too close to call, with TNS giving the Brexit camp a 43 per cent to 41 per cent advantage.

A YouGov poll for The Times gave Remain a lead of 51 to 49. FTI Consulting gave Remain the edge by 51.4 per cent to 48.6 per cent once 'don't knows' are taken out. 

Other polls show the result of today's referendum is on a knife-edge. A final YouGov survey for The Times gave the Remain camp a slender two-point lead over Brexit, but with 8 per cent undecided, pollsters say the outcome is too close to call.

Two further polls by Opinium and TNS showed the reverse, with Leave on 51 per cent and Remain on 49 per cent. 

In its final survey, Opinium said after talking to 3,000 people the referendum was a 'statistical dead heat' with Leave on 45 per cent and Remain on 44 per cent - meaning after taking margin of error into account it was impossible to pick a winner 

Opinium's surveys during June have showed a small overall drift toward Leave as undecided voters made up their minds but the pollster said the race was still too close to call 

Opinium Research recorded a tiny lead for Brexit in its final survey of 3,000 voters this week as it found 45 per cent backed Leave and 44 per cent backed Remain.

But after taking into account the margin of error in the study, the firm declared it impossible to predict a winner.

A week ago, Opinium had the referendum tied at 44 per cent each while at the start of June the pollster had Remain ahead 43-41.

The poll fits with the mixed found by all of the polling firms in the last week of the race, with some results showing small leads for either side while other showed a tie.

By contrast, betting markets have continued to show Remain as the strong favourite as the race enters its final hours. 

Adam Drummond, of Opinium Research said: 'This really is ''too close to call'' territory with undecided voters holding the balance of the vote in their hands.

'Although referendum campaigns normally see a move back to the status quo as we get closer to polling day, this hasn't yet shown up in our polls and the Remain camp will have to hope that it happens in the polling booth itself if Britain is to stay in the European Union.' 

In its latest poll, Opinium interviewed 3,011 voters between Monday and Wednesday.

The final day of the referendum campaign has seen the main contenders criss-crossing the country to appear at a string of eve-of-poll rallies.

David Cameron joined forces with former PM Sir John Major and Labour's Harriet Harman for a rally in Bristol this morning.

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has visited the famous Billingsgate Fish market as he traversed the country in a Vote Leave helicopter.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn addressed activists in central London, while planes trailing Remain banners staged a flypast at the Houses of Parliament.

During the rally in Bristol, Mr Cameron urged voters to stick with Brussels to ensure a 'bigger better Britain'.

He rejected Leave claims that Britain would be 'shackled to a corpse' if it chose to stick in the EU, telling supporters in Bristol the Remain case could be summed up in the single word: 'Together'. 

GRANDMOTHER, 101, BORN BEFORE WOMEN HAD THE VOTE BACKS REMAIN - EVEN THOUGH SHE'S NEVER BEEN TO EUROPE

Right to vote: 101-year-old Joan Talliss from Allesley, Coventry, went to Allesley village hall in her wheelchair today, pictured here wuth her grandson Andi Wolf

Nothing was going to keep this 101-year-old from the EU ballot box today.

Her determination to vote saw Joan Talliss struggle to Allesley Village Hall polling station in her wheelchair to cast her vote.

Mrs Talliss voted to stay in Europe and was not concerned over claims that Britain gets bossed around too much by eurocrats in Brussels.

She said: 'You get told what to do all the time. I think we're better in than out'.

But she added: 'I've never been to Europe, the furthest I've been abroad is Jersey. It does make you wonder what will happen if we leave.'

Her grandson Andi Wolf added: 'She says because we're all together in Europe there's less chance of us falling out and going to war.'

When Joan was born in 1914 women hadn't yet won the right to vote, and she dubbed people who can't be bothered to get to a polling station 'lazy-minded'.

It wasn't until 1928 when all women aged over 21 could vote. 

'They worked so hard to get females the vote we should vote in their memory,' she said.

In Second World War Coventry, Joan was a fire watcher, an air raid warden and blood donor.

The former bank clerk shared her philosophy on life which was simply: 'enjoy yourselves'. 

Joan will turn 102 on December 4 and said 'I can't believe I'm 101!' 

She enjoys a drink and admitted 'I'm a chocoholic I can't resist chocolate.' 

Joan first got to know her late husband Lesley when she became his pen pal during the war. In her first letter to him she described herself as 'short, fat and bad-tempered'.

Andi said: 'He wrote back saying 'you sound funny'.. So they carried on writing throughout the war.' They later married and Joan added: 'It took me four years to drag himto the altar.'

Lesley was awarded the Burma Star for valiant effort for his service in the global conflict.

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A pub, a launderette and even inside a front room: Britons cast their votes in some of the strangest polling stations across the UK 

A variety of extraordinary places have been turned into polling stations for today's EU referendum including pubs,  windmills and even someone's front room.

The majority of voters will visit their local school or village hall but thousands of others will be casting their vote at an array of more unusual polling stations.

These include pubs, allotment buildings, sports grounds, beauty salons, launderettes, guest houses, yacht clubs, garages and even the local bakery.  

With today's EU referendum billed as the most important vote in a generation, MailOnline has examined some of the stranger spots voters will be taking to the polls.

A local resident leaves after casting his vote in a bus being used as a temporary polling station in Hull on Humberside

Presiding officer Ahmed Z Jamee prepares to open the polling station at West Blatchington Windmill near Brighton

Dozens will vote in this living room in the small Cumbrian village of Pica as 46 million registered voters nationwide have their say on whether Britain should remain in or leave the European Union

People arrive to cast their vote in the EU referendum at a polling station set up in a residential garage in Croydon, south London

Voter Mrs Anne Whitman enjoys a swim at Arundel Lido in West Sussex, which is also set up as a polling station today

A woman enters the Sandbanks polling station situated in the North Haven Yacht Club in Poole harbour in Dorset

Landlord Ray Seavers pulls pints in The Bush Inn in the small Cumbrian village of Tallentire which is being used as a polling station

Sue Hopgood polling clerk for Maldon District Council prepares the polling station set up at the Little Braxted Bakery in Essex

Officials wait for voters inside a polling station being used in the EU referendum in a guest house annex in Dogmersfield, Hampshire

A man walks into a polling station to vote in the EU referendum, in Etherow country park in Stockport

A polling station at the White Horse Inn in Priors Dean, Hampshire, also known as the 'Pub with no name'

The presiding officer of the polling station at St. John the Baptist Church in Stadhampton, southeast of Oxford, affixes a poster to the wall

A polling clerk secures a polling station sign to a fence enclosing a 2S3 M-1973 Akatsiya 152-mm self-propelled gun howitzer, standing outside the Greenwich Heritage Centre in Woolwich, set up as a polling station

The polling station at the Elite hair salon in Portland in Dorset is among a number of shops being used today

A presiding officer and poll clerk drink a cup of tea while waiting for early morning voters at a polling station set up in a launderette in Headington outside Oxford

'It looks like an EDL rally!' Polling station told to take down England flags as angry voters complain of bias in favour of Brexi

A polling station has been told to take down England flags after voters complained they could sway people in favour of Brexit.

Pictures of Mayfield Athletic Club in Enfield, north London decked out in St George's flags emerged on Twitter today, with one voter saying it 'looked like an EDL rally'.  

The elections watchdog told MailOnline that although the polling station had not breached electoral law ordered, they had advised the venue to take the flags down to avoid confrontation and further concerns from voters. 

Pictures of Mayfield Athletic Club (pictured) decked out in St George's flags emerged on Twitter today, with one voter saying it 'looked like an EDL rally'

It also told the polling station to switch off the TV, which was showing rolling coverage and some suggested it could also be used to sway the result. 

Another polling station in Harrow was also accused of bias by hanging up on Union flags. Voter Carly Minsky said it was 'pretty overt manipulation'.

Guidance published by the Electoral Commission states that polling stations 'must not wear any badges, slogans or colours that might bring your impartiality into question'.

Voters claimed that hanging flags violated these rules but others insisted a national flag could not be seen as bias. 

A spokesman for Enfield Council said the cricket club had put up the flags because it was screening Euro 2016 football games. 

The final few polls of the referendum campaign suggested the result will go down to the wire, with a YouGov survey giving a Remain a two-point lead and polls by TNS and Opinium showing the reverse 

It is not illegal to take photos inside polling stations but revealing how other people voted is a criminal offence and can carry a fine of up to £5,000. 

The final polls suggested the result of the referendum is still too close to call. 

An average of the last six polls by Professor John Curtice, who was the only pollster to correctly predict the outcome of last year's General Election, suggests a four-point win for Remain. 

An exclusive survey for the Daily Mail and ITV News, gave the Remain camp a lead of six points, by 48 per cent to 42 per cent – but 11 per cent of electors said they were still undecided.

The In camp are ahead of Leave by 52 per cent to 48 per cent, according to an Ipsos Mori survey for the Evening Standard this afternoon. To add further uncertainty to the outcome, 12 per cent of those polled said they could switch sides as they head for the polling booth.

But according to an online poll by Populus the Remain campaign is at 55 per cent compared to Leave on 45 per cent.

Police question a Ukip supporter who offered voters a PEN in case their pencil markings on ballot paper were erased

This is the moment police took the name of a pro-Brexit supporter who offered voters the use of her pen in case of fraud. 

Some Vote Leave have claimed that using the pencil usually found in polling stations is dangerous because their cross could be rubbed out and changed, even claiming MI5 are involved.

Jacqueline Jackson, who was outside a Winchester polling station, filmed the officer taking her details as she argued she was allowed to lend her pen to anyone entering.

She then tweeted the footage and said: 'Police came to Chichester polling station called by REMAIN side to stop me LENDING my PEN to all voters.#fraud'. 

Many have used the hashtag 'usepens' to encourage others to refuse to use a pencil, although it has since been hijacked by Remain campaigners who are calling them conspiracy theorists. 

Police have spoken to a Ukip supporter who was offering to lend a pen to voters in case of fraud - they then took her details

Concerns: A poll released this week revealed that many Leave campaigners fear that today's referendum is rigged against them - so many are bringing their own pens

#usepens:  Twitter is full of messages urging people to vote with a pen after Leave campaigners said they were concerned their vote with a pencil could be rubbed out. This is one of many tweets lampooning the theory

Anxious: Many on the Leave side have spread the advice -  as a poll found that many Leave supporters feared the referendum is rigged

A poll released this week revealed that many Leave campaigners fear that today's referendum is rigged against them. 

A YouGov poll  found 46 per cent of all Leave voters think it's 'probably true' that their vote will be altered. A third of Ukip voters feared that MI5 might be involved. 

The idea has been widely mocked, including by BBC star Professor Brian Cox who tweeted: 'I voted in pencil just in case MI5 need to change it later'. 

The Electoral Commission has been forced to reassure the public that using a pencil will not cost them their vote.

A spokesman added that people are more than welcome to briong their own pens if they wish.

He said: 'By tradition, pencils are available in polling booths for voters to mark their ballot papers,' a spokesperson said. 'If a voter wishes to bring their own pen and use that, it's fine.'

'In regards to security, at the count there are statutory observers to make sure that they are carried out correctly. Campaigners are also invited to observe the counts taking place.'  

Joke: BBC star Professor Brian Cox tweeted: 'I voted in pencil just in case MI5 need to change it later'.

Statement: The Electoral Commission has been forced to reassure the public that using a pencil will not cost them their vote

Last year Scottish Nationalists who believed their referendum was rigged in favour of the 'No' campaign urged people to photograph their votes and covertly watch election officials.

The campaign, called Operation Scallop, has been widely shared across Facebook and Twitter because some SNP members fear their votes will be torn up, changed or not counted.

Organisers also say that supporters should vote in the last hour - between 9pm and 10pm - and then 'hang about outside' and 'take photos of anything suspicious' as the papers are loaded into vans.

They should then use their own transport to trail ballot boxes when they leave polling stations and follow them to the count and watch them being unloaded, it says.

A crib sheet says that when they vote they should watch who handles their vote after it is cast having also checked the paper has the correct markings.

It says: 'After voting hang about outside, ideally near the car park BUT do not act too suspicious, we want police to watch the polling stations not distracted by us'.

The author then encourages people to photograph anything suspicious as the ballot boxes are moved into vans, adding that police 'cannot touch you' for doing so.

When the papers are all loaded the SNP supporter is encouraged to jump in their car and follow the convoy - but 'do not break any traffic laws if you decide to follow'.

The document says: 'Police do not have the resources to escort all ballot boxes, only we, the people have the available numbers'.

The author adds that the process will take individuals two hours but 'it will make it almost impossible to tamper with ballot boxes'.

Paperwork also suggests being 'polite and courteous' at all times to avoid police suspicion and if challenged they must 'comply with their legal requests without exception'. 

Crunch time in Battle of Brexit: From Sunderland to Lancaster - the key milestones that will tell you who is winning the EU referendum

The EU referendum is a once-in-a-generation battle for the future of our country.

In general elections MPs contest separate constituencies, most of which are 'safe seats' for one or other of the main parties. That means many votes end up being pointless, as individuals have no chance of swinging their local result. But this time round every single ballot will count towards the final tally. 

Academics including Chris Hanretty from the University of East Anglia have analysed how Eurosceptic different parts of the country are - and used the results to produce a guide on how to interpret the early results tonight. For example, Leave should win by more than 6 percentage points in Sunderland if they are on track for victory overall

And with polls suggesting the race is too close to call, where YOU place the cross on that ballot paper could make all the difference.

Pollsters have been scratching their heads trying to work out how to judge who is ahead in the contest.

On the face of it, just having two options - Leave or Remain - should make it simpler to take the temperature of the public.

But as the issue splits opinions across party lines, and regional variations are hard to predict, the usual techniques for putting together a representative sample do not work reliably.

For similar reasons, there will not be the kind of exit poll we usually get a general elections - like the one that accurately called the Tory victory in May last year.

But that does not mean we won't have any clue who is on top before the result is declared.

Once the Electoral Commission reveals the total turnout figure in the early hours of Friday, we will be able to calculate an effective 'winning post'. 

The sides will move towards that post as the 382 local authorities - plus Northern Ireland and Gibraltar - report their figures.

The early results will also give us tantalising hints about who is set to be celebrating come 7am, when all the votes are due to have been counted.

Chris Hanretty, a reader in politics at the University of East Anglia, has done some ingenious calculations to create a guide to interpreting the slew of figures.

Hanretty has used data from a huge survey of nearly 30,000 people conducted by the British Election Study team last year to assess how Eurosceptic different parts of the country are.

He adjusted those findings to account for factors such as the overall shift in opinion polls towards Brexit over recent months, and then estimated what outcomes from individual areas would be needed in order to deliver a dead heat - 50-50 - across the country.

According to Hanretty, Leave will have to win by six percentage points in Sunderland - which prides itself on counting quickly - in order to be on track to succeed nationally.

Swindon is seen as so Eurosceptic that the Brexiteers would be expected to come out on top by 59 per cent to 41 per cent there to deliver a wider triumph.

By contrast, the London borough of Wandsworth is considered so EU friendly that Remain should only put the champagne on ice if it racks up more than 69 per cent of votes cast.

In the City of London, Remain should be looking at an even more massive margin - needing to win by around 77 per cent to 23 per cent.

Writing on his blog, Hanretty said: 'If the result in Sunderland is very close, then Remain has probably won. 

'I said that we should expect Leave to be six percentage points ahead in Sunderland. That's my best estimate of the gap in Sunderland, but it's come with uncertainty. 

'If, God forbid, the referendum were to be repeated 100 times, then ninety times out of one hundred I'd expect the gap to be between Leave 14 percentage points ahead and Remain one percentage point ahead. 

'That means it's not impossible that Leave will win whilst losing in Sunderland. But it would be difficult.'

But the best indicators could prove to be towns that are regarded as too close to call. 

Lancaster, which is due to declare around 3.30am, may be a bellwether.

Around half the results will be known by then - and figures from Scotland could give a good picture of how strong turnout has been among EU supporters.

Shortly afterwards, a swathe of around 88 local authorities will supply their figures, and media organisations could start looking to call the contest one way or the other.

If it is not obvious who has triumphed by this point, the margins will be nail-bitingly small.

A number of rural parts of the country declaring later are thought to lean towards Leave. 

But the outcome could also depend on whether Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has managed to win over traditional party supporters in seats such as Sefton on Merseyside.

The final declarations are due at around 7am, and the chair of the Electoral Commission, Jenny Watson, should make an announcement of the national result in Manchester soon after.

If the numbers are extremely tight, the spectre of recounts and legal wrangling will loom large - potentially plunging the country into a constitutional crisis.

If the result goes for Brexit, expect to see a shattered David Cameron appear outside 10 Downing Street shortly afterwards to concede defeat.

The Prime Minister will promise to implement the wishes of the British people, but his speech will be necessarily short on detail.

Only semi-independent Greenland has quit the EU before, and that was 30 years ago when the island had a population of just 56,000.

The PM could well hold off on a dramatic announcement about his own future in the immediate aftermath of a Brexit vote - although it is almost impossible that his premiership will be able to survive the defeat for long.

He could fire the starting gun on a Tory leadership contest, which Brexit champion Boris Johnson would almost certainly win.

The Treasury, Bank of England and European Central Bank would activate contingency plans to shore up the currency and inject liquidity to banks to ensure the system keeps working.  

'If you stay in the EU, we will acknowledge the 1966 Wembley goal and reserve sun loungers for you with our towels':German tabloid Bild offers 11 hilarious bribes as Europe's media pleads for UK to stay

German tabloid Bild has offered 11 hilarious bribes in a bid to urge Britain to reject Brexit - even vowing to finally recognise Geoff Hurst's disputed goal in the 1966 World Cup final.

In another offer to English voters in the EU referendum, the country's most popular newspaper said it would personally reserve sun loungers for Britons on holiday using its own towels. 

Bild was one of many newspapers across Europe who have pleaded with Britain to stay in the EU after dedicating their front pages to the referendum.  

German tabloid Bild has offered 11 hilarious bribes in a bid to urge Britain to reject Brexit - even vowing to finally recognise Geoff Hurst's disputed goal in the 1966 World Cup final

Gesture: Hurst's extra-time strike (pictured) at Wembley which put England 3-2 ahead of the then West Germany has long been a bone of contention between the two countries

The German daily dipped into decades of clichés about British-German relations for its front page - and referenced the controversy over the 1966 World Cup final.

Hurst's extra-time strike at Wembley which put England 3-2 ahead of the then West Germany has long been a bone of contention between the two countries. 

Germans claim it landed on the line after hitting the crossbar, while England fans insist the ball crossed the line before bouncing out of the goal.

For the tabloid Bild to be prepared to accept it as a valid goal is a mark of the concern many in Germany feel about the prospect of losing the UK from an EU, which they fear could become skewed towards Mediterranean states in its absence.

But recognising Hurst's goal from the famous 4-2 victory is not the only concession Bild is ready to make.  

In a front page addressed to 'Dear Brits', the paper also offers that if the UK votes Remain, they will stop making jokes about Prince Charles's ears.

Playing on the rivalry the two countries have long had on the football pitch, Bild also offered to go without a goalkeeper in future penalty shoot-outs 'to make it a bit more exciting'.

Germany defeated England in a penalty shootout in the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup and the semi-finals of the 1996 Euros. 

The newspaper also pledged to introduce tea breaks, and to 'stop using sun cream on the beach out of solidarity with your sunburn'.

In another football-based promise, Bild vowed to send its national team coach Joachim Low to 'guard your Crown Jewels'.

If Britain were to stay in the EU, Bild also pledged to supply the baddie for every James Bond film, put its clocks back one hour so they were on the same time zone as Britain and introduce an EU guideline that bans froth on beer. 

In a final goodwill gesture, the newspaper then promised to attend the Queen's 100th birthday.

Inside the paper, Bild revealed it had put a £10,000 bet on Remain winning the referendum and said it will spend the winnings on investing in 'German-British friendship' by shouting the drinks at a London pub. 

French newspapers Liberation (left) and La Croix (right) both dedicated their front pages to Britain's EU referendum

The Danish newspaper Politiken (left) and the Polish newspaper Fakt (right) also featured the Brexit vote on their front pages

On Monday, Sweden's Dagens Industri (left) printed 'Take a chance on EU!' along with the colours of the Union Jack. German paper Die Tageszeitung (right) showed the colours of the British flag on a toilet seat

Belgian newspaper Le Soir printed a picture of Leave campaigners outside the Houses of Parliament

Elsewhere, Germany's Spiegel said Brexit would be a 'triumph of cynicism over reason', adding 'were the British to leave the EU, it would be a threefold catastrophe: bad for Germany, bad for Britain and cataclysmic for Europe'.

Dutch newspaper AD urged Britons to vote for Remain, saying the European Union without the UK would be like 'tea without milk'. 

The Brexit vote also featured on the front pages of the French newspapers Liberation and La Croix as well as the Danish paper Politiken and Poland's Fakt. 

Meanwhile, the Irish Independent said the UK can 'legitimately gripe about its view not being treated with due respect by Brussels' but insisted the country is better off in, and asked 'voters in Britain, whether they are Irish or not, to vote to Remain'.

In China, the Global Times, published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, warned Britain would lose its influence globally if voters backed Brexit. 

What's he playing at? On the eve of the vote he's campaigned for his entire political life, Nigel Farage pulls out of crunch referendum TV debate 'to have dinner with his son' 

Nigel Farage outside his home as he heads out to vote this morning. But he ducked out of a TV debate on the eve of the referendum he has been demanding for years

Nigel Farage pulled out of last night's final, crucial television debate on today's EU referendum so he could 'have dinner with his son', it has been revealed.

Farage, who has campaigned for the UK to leave the European Union his whole political life, told Channel 4 he would not be attending the evening's debate due to 'family reasons'.

The announcement was met with surprise, with many expressing concern for Farage and his family as many believed only something truly terrible would make the politician pull out of the key debate.

However, it has now emerged that Mr Farage had simply decided to go to dinner with his eldest son Sam. 

A source said: 'He hadn't seen him for nine months so it was between that or being on against the founder of Ukip who calls him racist. It was a no brainer.' 

It is unclear why he had not seen Sam, who works at KPMG, for nine months. 

He had recently told ITV: 'I've got a son who works for one of the corporates and he's been told: 'You must vote to remain part of this otherwise terrible things will happen'.'

Both Farage's sons work in the City. 

Farage was scheduled to appear alongside a number of high profile guests from both sides of the campaign, including former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell, Tory peer Michael Heseltine, former Tory MP Louise Mensch - and Delia Smith, who slammed Ukip's most recent Brexit poster as 'anti-human'. 

The popular television cook called the unveiling of the poster - which which depicts a snaking line of hundreds of immigrants arriving in Europe - as the 'darkest moment' of the EU campaign. 

Ms Smith, speaking during the first segment of the programme which largely focused on how each side had run their campaigns, said: 'It's got darker and darker.

'I really think its darkest moment was when we saw the poster.

'I do not think it was just offensive. It was anti-human.'

But it has since emerged that the 'family reason' was a dinner with his oldest son, Sam (pictured right)

Farage had refused to apologise for his controversial 'breaking point' immigration poster earlier on Wednesday, despite suggestions by his party that he had.

Speaking in central London, Mr Farage said: 'I apologise for the timing and I apologise for the fact that it was able to be used by those who wish us harm.

'But I can't apologise for the truth. And after all, this was a photograph your newspaper carried, this was a photograph that all newspapers carried, it is an example of what is wrong inside the European Union.' 

Ukip had offered their MEP Steven Woolfe to take the place of Mr Farage the broadcaster declined, the party said. 

The debate was one of the last opportunities for the Remain and Leave camps to put forward their arguments before polls open at 7am today.

The 90-minute discussion, hosted by Jeremy Paxman, addressed the key issues of the referendum, including the economy, immigration, sovereignty and security.

However, tensions between the two sides often boiled over, and at times it seemed Paxman was struggling keep his rolling stage of panelists on topic.

At one point, a visibly annoyed Paxman told Eurovision winner Sandie Shaw: 'We are trying to discuss something else, and you are going on about music.'

The panelists were equally tetchy as they continually spoke over each other.

When Simon Schama tried to interrupt Steve Hilton, the former Tory adviser snapped: 'That's a little bit rude to interrupt someone when they've just started.' 

Mr Hilton - who used to work as David Cameron's director of strategy - was later called out as a hypocrite for having a go at 'un-elected bureaucrats'.

He was not the only one: former chancellor and Leave campaigners Nigel Lawson's fears over Britain becoming a 'colony' of a United States of Europe were met with the point he lives in France.

At one point, Selina Scott - a Leave supporter - suggested that if the referendum did not end with the UK leaving the EU, she would never vote again.

'Why should I bother?' she asked.