VOTERS in Oxfordshire backed Britain's membership of the EU with a 51,000 majority as it was confirmed the rest of the UK had chosen Brexit.

In a result that threw Westminster politics into disarray and sent the pound crashing, the Leave camp passed the winning post of 16,757,766 with eight of the 382 voting areas still to declare.

It was heading for an overall majority of 52 per cent to 48 per cent.

Voters in Oxfordshire appeared to buck the national trend. There were overall wins for the Remain campaign in Oxford, Vale of White Horse, South Oxfordshire and West Oxfordshire, with only Cherwell narrowly backing Leave. 

Overall 215,035 people supported Remain and 163,574 supported Leave in the county. Turnout was 77.5 per cent on average.

The results by district were:

  • Oxford - 49424 for Remain, 20913 for Leave
  • Vale of White Horse - 43462 for Remain, 33193 for Leave
  • South Oxfordshire - 46,245 for Remain, 37865 for Leave
  • West Oxfordshire - 35,236 for Remain, 30,435 for Leave
  • Cherwell - 41168 for Leave, 40,668 for Remain

As traders across the globe reacted to the referendum's outcome, the Pound Sterling plunged on overnight markets.

It was a torrid night for David Cameron and the Remain campaign, who failed to secure large victories they hoped for in several cities. But a letter signed by 84 Eurosceptic MPs emerged calling on the Prime Minister and Witney MP to stay in his post whatever the outcome of the vote.

"We believe whatever the British people decide you have both a mandate and a duty to continue leading the nation implementing our policies," they wrote.

Mr Cameron is expected to make a statement outside Downing Street before 8am.