A man has taken out a full page advert in the Metro newspaper, paying for it out of his own pocket, in response to what he calls “the rubbish being talked about immigration” ahead of the EU referendum.

Laurence Taylor has delighted people on both sides of the debate over EU membership by using data from organisation MigrationWatch and the Office for National Statistics to highlight how small the number of migrants arriving in Britain is each year, in relation to the country’s population as a whole.

“Why can’t we cope with a 0.5%/yr rise in population?” the ad asks. “Too many migrants or failure of government?”

In the small print below, Mr Taylor writes: “Vote Remain or Leave, up to you, but do it based on facts not fear.”

His intervention, the day before Britain goes to the polls, has sparked a wave of hilarity on social media.

At the bottom of the page, Mr Taylor used the ample free space on his full-page advert to highlight the difficulties countries in Europe, but outside the EU, have had in negotiating trade agreements.

Norway and Switzerland both have to accept the free movement of people in their countries as part of their trading arrangements with the EU.

“We could always try and negotiate something different, but how successful do you think that would be given that everyone else including Norway has to [accept free movement]?” Mr Taylor asks, before adding: “OK I’ll stop there. Just getting my money’s worth.”

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Metro reported it had since spoken to Mr Taylor, who said he didn't want to be pictured or identified further because he had "spent [his] life not wanting to be famous".

He told the newspaper: "The reason I placed the ad is I’m fed up with the lot of them – Cameron, Farage and comedy Boris. Fed up with the lies and the scare stories."

The Leave campaign has chosen to put immigration at the centre of its push for Britain to vote out of the EU, after it became apparent all the world's leading economic authorities would hand that side of the argument to Remain.

The most scaremongering arguments for Brexit Show all 7 1 /7 The most scaremongering arguments for Brexit The most scaremongering arguments for Brexit 22 May 2015 In his regular column in The Express Nigel Farage utilised the concerns over Putin and the EU to deliver a tongue in cheek conclusion. “With friends like these, who needs enemies?” PA The most scaremongering arguments for Brexit 13 November 2015 UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire Mike Hookem, was one of several political figures who took no time to harness the toxic atmosphere just moments after Paris attacks to push an agenda. “Cameron says we’re safer in the EU. Well I’m in the centre of the EU and it doesn’t feel very safe.” Getty Images The most scaremongering arguments for Brexit 19 April 2016 In an article written for The Guardian, Michael Gove attempts to bolster his argument with a highly charged metaphor in which he likens UK remaining in the EU to a hostage situation. “We’re voting to be hostages locked in the back of the car and driven headlong towards deeper EU integration.” Rex The most scaremongering arguments for Brexit 26 April 2016 In a move that is hard to decipher, let alone understand, Mike Hookem stuck it to Obama re-tweeting a UKIP advertisement that utilises a quote from the film: ‘Love Actually’ to dishonour the US stance on the EU. “A friend who bullies us is no longer a friend” The most scaremongering arguments for Brexit 10 May 2016 During a speech in London former work and pensions secretary Ian Duncan Smith said that EU migration would cause an increasing divide between people who benefit from immigration and people who couldn’t not find work because of uncontrolled migration. “The European Union is a ‘force for social injustice’ which backs the ‘haves rather than the have-nots.” EPA The most scaremongering arguments for Brexit 15 May 2016 Cartoon character Boris Johnson made the news again over controversial comments that the EU had the same goal as Hitler in trying to create a political super state. “Napoleon, Hitler, various people tried this out, and it ends tragically.” “The EU is an attempt to do this by different methods.” PA The most scaremongering arguments for Brexit 16 May 2016 During a tour of the women’s clothing manufacturer David Nieper, Boris had ample time to cook up a new metaphor, arguably eclipsing Gove’s in which he compares the EU to ‘badly designed undergarments.’ “So I just say to all those who prophecy doom and gloom for the British Business, I say their pants are on fire. Let’s say knickers to the pessimists, knickers to all those who talk Britain down.” Getty Images

An article by Michael Gove in The Times on 25 April set the new tone, following a line of argument which had previously been the reserve of Nigel Farage and the unofficial Leave.EU team.

Mr Gove wrote: "Because we cannot control our borders – and because our deal sadly does nothing to change this fact - public services such as the NHS will face an unquantifiable strain as millions more become EU citizens."