The 'stay - go' battle is fierce until the last minute in England

The ratio of those in favour and those against the UK leaving the EU is so close that no one can predict the outcome of the referendum.

British people call for support for the option to remain in the EU. Photo: Guardian

The battle over Britain's future in the European Union (EU) turned into a breathless race today as initial results of the historic referendum showed a higher than expected vote to leave the 28-nation bloc, according to AFP.

With only about 88 out of 382 areas across the UK yet to announce the results of the vote count, the number of supporters and opponents of Britain leaving the EU is still very close, with 48% supporting the "Remain" option, and 52% agreeing with the "Leave" option.

"This is an incredibly close vote. We don't know where this is going to go," said Beverly David, a Remain supporter.

A record 46.5 million people registered to vote in the referendum, despite heavy rain and flooding in many places, to make a historic decision in a major battle over important issues such as immigration, the economy and Britain's identity as a member of the EU.

"The vote result is so close that it becomes even more difficult to make predictions," said Professor Kevin Featherstone of the London School of Economics.

In Brussels, Belgium, the possibility of the world's fifth-largest economy leaving the EU has raised concerns about a domino effect, setting off a series of referendums in other countries that could disintegrate the union, which has been tested by the eurozone and refugee crises in recent times.

A defeat by the Remain side would immediately put enormous pressure on Prime Minister David Cameron, who took a huge gamble when he promised a referendum three years ago, but it has left deep divisions within his party and the country.

Preliminary poll results show Brexit is very close to the front. Graphic: Guardian

Brexit could also trigger a constitutional crisis in the UK. If the UK votes to leave the EU, while Scotland wants to stay, it could trigger an independence referendum in the country.

Early results showed that cities in the north of England showed more support than expected for Brexit. However, the fact that many densely populated areas of London voted for Remain helped even the score, leaving the two sides in a neck-and-neck situation until the last minute.

EU leaders have warned Britons that there will be no going back if they agree to Brexit. “It’s a walk in the park,” European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Wednesday, ruling out any possibility of negotiations after the vote on Britain’s membership.

EU leaders will meet next Tuesday to discuss the results of the referendum and decide how to deal with the risk of similar votes in other member states.

People in many other European countries have erected memorials flying British flags, while many newspapers have carried the headline: "Please don't go".

The final results of the referendum will be announced at the earliest at 3am (local time, ie 1pm Vietnam time).

According to VNE