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Younger voters will be the losers from today's historic vote to leave the EU after polls repeatedly showed they back Remain.

Brexiters were led to victory in the referendum overnight by triumphing in Tory shires and Old Labour heartlands in Wales and the north of England.

But the Kingdom is no longer United after London, Scotland and Northern Ireland all backed Remain.

The more damaging legacy, however, could be the staggering difference in how people of different ages planned to vote.

Read more:You've gambled with my generation's future - we have the right to be angry

The final YouGov poll before the referendum showed 72% of 18 to 24-year-olds backed a Remain vote - with just 19% backing Brexit.

(Image: Getty) (Image: Reuters)

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said: "Young people voted to remain by a considerable margin, but were outvoted. They were voting for their future, yet it has been taken from them."

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How age groups planned to vote Remain in the EU referendum YouGov

Among pensioners however backing for Remain fell to 34% - with Brexit on a staggering 59%.

(Image: Getty) (Image: Getty)

Although the poll was wrong about the overall result of the referendum it followed a decisive trend showing young voters overwhelmingly backed an In vote.

(Image: Reuters)

Hundreds of thousands of young people signed up for the vote at the last moment, crashing the voter registration site and forcing the deadline to be extended.

How age groups planned to vote Brexit in the EU referendum YouGov

Just a few hours ago, when he thought he'd lost, Nigel Farage tried to blame that extension.

"My sense of this is the government’s registration scheme, getting 2million voters on, the 48 hour extension, may be what tips the balance," he said.

(Image: RICHARD AUSTIN) (Image: Sky News)

But in the end it was not enough to head off an Out vote.

The final result - 52-48 to Remain - is likely to prompt furious recriminations against David Cameron for refusing 16- and 17-year-olds the vote.

(Image: Rex) (Image: Getty)

He declined the chance to open the franchise to that age group for the first time despite pleas from Labour, the Lib Dems and SNP .