A sharp age, wealth and educational divide between Remain and Leave voters has been revealed.

Polling carried out for former Tory party donor Lord Ashcroft exposed deep differences between the pro and anti-Brexit camps.

While 73% of voters under 25 wanted to stay in the EU, 60% of those aged over 65 opted to leave, the survey of 12,369 people on referendum day showed.

Remain was also the preferred stance of 62% of 25 to 34-year-olds, narrowing to 52% in the 35 to 44 range, before Leave took a majority among 45 to 54-year-olds with 56% backing, expanding to 57% in the 55 to 64 bracket.

A clear majority of university educated voters went for Remain, while most people whose education ended at secondary school level or earlier supported Brexit

Surprise at the referendum's outcome was underlined by the findings which showed that more than half of Leave supporters, 54%, expected to lose, and overall 70% of those who cast ballots believed Remain would win.

While Remain won the backing of 57% of the top earning AB social group, Leave was supported by 64% of C2DEs.

A clear majority of university educated voters went for Remain, while most people whose education ended at secondary school level or earlier supported Brexit.

White voters split 53% to 47% in favour of withdrawal, while 67% of Asians and 73% of black people opted for Remain.

Religious divides were also highlighted with 58% of those describing themselves as Christian voting for Brexit, while 70% of Muslims wanted to stay in the EU.

Of voters who backed Labour in the last election, 63% went Remain, one point lower than SNP supporters, while 58% of Tories opted for Leave.

Almost a quarter of voters, 24%, did not make up their minds until the last week of the campaign, with 10% deciding in the final 48 hours.

The survey found that those who finalised their decision on polling day split almost equally between the two camps.

Nearly half of Leave backers, 49%, cited the need to take decisions in the UK as their prime reason, while a third said it was to regain control over immigration.

The risk to jobs and the economy was named by 43% of Remain voters as the prime motivation for their decision.

Tory voters preferred Boris Johnson to become the new prime minister, with 28% backing.

Pro-Remain Home Secretary Theresa May was preferred by 18%, with Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson third on 10%.

Almost seven in 10 Leave backers, 69%, thought their vote "might make us a bit better or worse off as a country, but there probably isn't much in it either way", while 77% of pro-EU backers thought "the decision we make in the referendum could have disastrous consequences for us as a country if we get it wrong".

There was no gender divide with women and men mirroring the national 52% to 48% split.