Voters in Swale have decisively voted to leave the EU.

The final result, declared just after 4am, was 47,388 for 'out', and 28,481 to remain.

The turnout was just over 74% with a total of 75,913 people casting their ballots.

A total of 48 ballot papers were rejected, 16 of which were for both answers being marked, and 28 were declared void for uncertainty.

Speaking shortly after the result, Ukip's Richard Palmer, a former prospective parliamentary candidate for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, said he felt "elated".

"I'm positive the country is going to vote to leave.

"I think we have worked very well, I think locally all the groups have worked with one aim - to get people to vote to leave."

Asked if he had a message for those who voted to remain, Mr Palmer said: "We need to listen to their concerns.

"The trade will go on and I think the economy will not suffer."

To see how the day's events unfolded see below...

10pm

Welcome to our live coverage of the EU referendum count in Swale.

The polls have now closed and we’ll be bringing you regular updates ahead of the result, which is expected to be announced at around 4am.

A total of 102,209 people in the borough were eligible to vote and queues were reported at many of the 71 polling stations in Sittingbourne, Faversham, and Sheppey, throughout the day.

Around 100 people are working at the count.

10.30pm

Mark Radford, deputy counting officer, is expecting the result in Swale to be announced sometime between 3.30am and 4am.

"The important thing is the count is accurate and expresses the will of the electorate," he said.

He confirmed a total of 16,241 postal votes have been issued across Swale.

"We have had well over 80% of the postal votes sent out have been returned," he added.

The full turnout will be announced in the next few hours.

It is expected to be much higher than last year's general election, which was 65.2%.

11.15pm

Mike Baldock, Ukip councillor for Borden and Grove Park, has come to watch the count.

He said: "I think that locally there could be over 60% leave which is a very, very clear message that people in Swale don't like the European Union, don't like what it's done for us and want to take back control."

Speaking about the In and Out campaigns, he described both as "dreadful."

"It's all been about scare mongering and large amounts of people who wanted to vote to leave didn't," he said.

"This will have to come to a head again within the next five years.

"I think both campaigns were dreadful" - Ukip Cllr Mike Baldock

"We will also have to see if the promises from David Cameron will materialise.

"Talking to people, they really wanted to be able to get rid of the leaders when they don't like what they're doing and it's the basic feeling of having control."

11.45pm

Swale Conservative Cllr Nicholas Hampshire, said he only made up his mind which way he was voting 300 yards from the polling station.

After choosing to remain, he said: "I think it's a really difficult decision and I can see the pros and cons from both sides."

The deputy cabinet member for safer families and communities compared the UK's membership of the EU to being in a relationship, which at times can be tempestuous.

"But it's best to shout from within than from the outside," he said.

12am

Officials confirm the turnout in Swale is expected to be announced at around 1am.

1am

Swale Liberal Democrats chairman Keith Nevols said expects the borough's result to be to leave the EU.

However, nationally he was less sure.

"I can respect and appreciate other views. There's been a lot of scare tactics from both sides," he said.

"I was worried at one stage that everyone was bored with the campaign going on for four months.

"If it doesn't go our way we will be very disappointed and it will be a mistake to leave the EU.

"I'm not convinced we could get better terms (outside) than we have at the moment."

1.30am

The room falls completely silent falls as Mr Radford gets ready to announce the turnout.

"I hereby declare that the total number of ballot papers verified was 75,913," he says as people gather around his podium.

"The total number of eligible voting electorate was 102,209.

"The turnout is 74.27%.

"What will now happen is we will move to the counting of the votes."

There are now cheers from the 'out' supporters in the hall everytime somewhere else in the UK votes to leave.

2.30am

Milton Regis Cllr Katy Coleman was puzzled at the lack of Labour party councillors at the count so far.

"I'm a bit disappointed for the other parties, I expected more to be here," said the Ukip representative.

"There's no labour."

3.30am

We're hearing reports the Swale result could be announced in around 20 minutes.

3.56am

We're getting closer to the result! The deputy counting officer has called in the agents to see if there are any objections to the outcome of the count.

4.07am

The result is declared. Leave the EU 47,388, remain 28,481.

A total of 48 ballot papers were rejected, 16 of which were for both answers being marked, and 28 were declared void for uncertainty.

More to follow...