EU referendum: All 14 Lancashire districts back Brexit

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans thanked his constituents for voting Leave

All 14 districts in Lancashire voted to leave the European Union - with Blackpool returning the largest majority in the North West of England.

The seaside town was 67.5% in favour of exiting, closely followed by Burnley at 66.6% and Hyndburn at 66.2%.

Lancaster, Preston and West Lancashire had narrower margins with 51.1%, 53.3% and 55.3% respectively.

Conservative MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys Paul Maynard said continuity "is important" for the United Kingdom.

He tweeted: "As we move forward, I believe it is important we have continuity to face the challenges we need to over come."

Fellow Tory MP Nigel Evans, who represents Ribble Valley, said: "Thank you to the British people. We asked you to vote for us to leave the European Union and that's exactly what you've done.

"Now we've just got to get on and the United Kingdom is a united country once more."

"I am proud of the people of Lancashire today," said UK Independence Party MEP for the North West of England Steven Woolfe.

"Over the years people have fallen out of love with the European Union. They just don't want to be ruled by someone they don't know and can't get rid of."

Peter Street, owner of the Cardboard Box Company in Accrington, told BBC Radio Lancashire: "I woke up this morning to find out we're leaving - I'm absolutely delighted.

"The EU is absolutely out of control - I just think we will be great on our own.

"We've run this country for 1,000 years - why on earth we needed to go into [the EU] for the last 20 or 30 years I do not know."

But Tony Attard, chief executive of Burnley-based textiles business the Panaz Group, said: "I think it's a blow for Lancashire regarding the uncertainty placed against us for inward investment.

"The British electorate just made our jobs as business leaders an awful lot harder regarding our strategy for growth and prosperity."

He said the UK's exit from the European Union could result in his company "refocusing our attention to other areas in the world like North America" when it comes to exports.