South Shields MP slams 'toxic' Cameron and 'hateful' Farage as Leave vote wins in South Tyneside

A total of 49,065 voters in the borough came out in support of leaving the EU, taking 62% of the vote compared to Remain's 30,014 votes (38%).

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Ms Lewell-Buck laid the blame firmly at the Prime Minister's door, blasted David Cameron for the decision to hold a referendum on the EU and slamming his "divisive" campaign tactics.

"He's toxic," she said. "People turn on the TV and see him and think 'he's doing nothing for me, I'm going to vote out'."

She added: "This has been the most horrible campaign I've ever worked on. It's been vicious. Nigel Farage has whipped everyone up into a frenzy with his hateful language.

"It's become acceptable to use that language now, and it's just not what we're about.

Ms Lewell-Buck said she expected a Leave result in South Tyneside, but the result had been slightly more in favour of Leave than she had envisaged.

She said: "I've been out campaigning for weeks now and I felt it was going towards 'vote out'.

"People are angry about the lack of jobs and investment in the North East, but it's the Tory Government to blame, not Europe."

Ms Lewell-Buck said people felt let down by the political system, and were taking their anger out on David Cameron by voting to leave the EU.

North East Ukip organiser Richard Elvin, however, is rejoicing after results in South Tyneside, Hartlepool and Sunderland came out strongly in favour of leaving the EU.

Speaking at the regional results centre in Sunderland, he said: ""I feel elated. I'm absolutely over the moon. It's been a wonderful campaign, we had a fantastic campaign team.

"They all worked their socks off, they worked really, really hard, day in and day out, until the last minute. They never put the brakes on.

"They've done a marvellous job and it's manifested itself in a fantastic result.

"But we have to wait and see what happens nationally, it could all mean nothing."

He added: "They are very fair-minded people here in the North East and what they can't understand is that the people they vote for, can't make all the laws they have to live by. EU's laws are made in Brussels and automatically legalised by the Houses of Parliament. It's part of our legal system and we've got no say in it.

"They are also concerned by the levels of immigration. The North East hasn't had a lot of immigration, but seeing what's happening in other parts of the country, they don't want that here.

"It doesn't work for the average working man. It's for big corporations and the little people at the bottom, the hardworking people, they end up paying the price."