Voting begins in Britain for EU membership referendum

Polls opened early today in a historic referendum to decide whether the UK will stay in or leave the 28-nation European Union even as the result remained too close to call with opinion polls showing a very tight race that could go either way.

Both sides of the campaign have urged the nearly 46,499,537 registered voters, including 1.2 million British Indians, for a big turnout as Prime Minister David Cameron made his final appeal to "get out there and vote Remain" and reject the "untruths" of the camp in favour of 'Brexit' or Britain's exit from the EU.

Cameron will vote in his constituency of Witney, Oxfordshire, before returning to Downing Street to watch the results come in.

Immigration to Britain, which has risen significantly in recent years, is a key issue in the referendum that has seriously divided the country.

On the opposing side, former London mayor Boris Johnson, who is widely touted as a future prime minister, headed the final drive for the Vote Leave campaign, insisted his side was "on the verge of victory" and that today could mark the UK's "independence day".