Leave campaigners are celebrating victory EU referendum, with Ukip leader Nigel Farage declaring "let June 23 go down in our history as our independence day".

Leave had built up an unassailable lead over Remain after the UK went to the polls in the historic vote on Thursday.

The pro-Leave Labour MP Gisela Stuart called for calm following the vote, and Brexit-backing MEP Daniel Hannan said "the task now is to unite the country".

The shock defeat for David Cameron's strong recommendation of a Remain vote led to questions about his future as Prime Minister. Mr Farage said he should quit "immediately".

Addressing jubilant supporters at the Leave.EU headquarters, Mr Farage said: "I now dare to dream that the dawn is coming up on an independent United Kingdom."

Britain has freed itself from Brussels "without a shot being fired", said the Ukip leader, adding: "If the predictions now are right, this will be a victory for real people, a victory for ordinary people, a victory for decent people.

"We fought against the multinationals, we fought against the big merchant banks, we fought against big politics, we fought against lies, corruption and deceit, and today, honesty, decency and belief in nation I think now is going to win."

Scotland's Ukip MEP David Coburn tweeted: "We can now look forward to a much more democratic and happier country."

Leave chairwoman Gisela Stuart said: "People were given the impression they had no choice but to Remain, but they voted to Leave.

"It is incumbent on all of us to be very calm and remember our responsibility for the future of the United Kingdom, and work together to start a process, because this is simply the beginning of the process of initiating leaving the European Union.

"In the long run we will find that both Europe and the United Kingdom will emerge stronger as a result."

Former Bradford West MP George Galloway said: "First they ignored us. Then they laughed at us. Then they attacked us. Then we won #Lexit #Brexit."

Brexit-backing Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan said: "I feel so proud to be British this morning. The hectoring, the bullying, the scare-stories failed to dent our resolve. #IndependenceDay.

"The task now is to unite the country, to move in a measured and phased way to a status that both Leavers and Remainers can accept"