BURY'S political leaders have been reacting to Britain's vote to leave the European Union.

The Leave campaign won 52 per cent of the national vote and was backed by 54 per cent of Bury voters.

Prime Minister David Cameron has announced he will be stepping down by October.

Cllr Rishi Shori, leader of Bury Council, said: "At the present time what leaving the EU means for the people of the UK and residents of Bury is not readily apparent and it may take weeks and months for a clear picture to develop.

"As a Council we will work hard for the people of Bury to ensure that the changes that will come about as a result of the Brexit vote are managed effectively.

"I would also like to thank the Council staff involved in organising the Referendum vote.

"They ensured that the polling on the day and subsequent count was dealt with speedily and efficiently with Bury becoming the first GM authority to declare its result".

David Nuttall, the Conservative MP for Bury North, expressed his delight with the result and thanked Mr Cameron for allowing the referendum to take place. Click here for his full thoughts.

Cllr Tim Pickstone, Lib Dem leader in Bury, said the result marked a "very bad day for Britain".

He told the Bury Times: "The outcome of the Referendum is clear, but that doesn’t mean we think it is right. This is a very bad day for Britain: I fear for jobs, I fear for our economy, I fear for our place in the world. 

"We don’t agree with Nigel Farage and his friends and we never will. The Liberal Democrats will continue to stand and fight for a better kind of Britain than the one painted by the Leave campaign - tolerant, openhearted, optimistic, and outward looking."

Nicole Haydock, of Bury Green Party, added: "Having done quite a lot of door knocking and street stalls, the result doesn't surprise me. 

"The feedback we had was largely in favour of Leave and about wanting to take back control. In the last week, it was clear that people had made their minds up.

"I'm shocked that the London politicians and pundits didn't see it coming."