BBC, ITV and Sky News call Brexit referendum vote as LEAVE (Updated 12:45 AM EDT)

Moments ago from The Telegraph's live blogging of the vote count.  You may trust nobody in the U.K. got any sleep as the votes were counted after the polls closed at 10 PM BST. Global financial markets are going crazy according to CNBC; traders had assumed the vote would go for Remain.

Update

‘Black Friday’: Pound plummets to 1985 low as 'Leave' declares victory
Published time: 24 Jun, 2016 04:07 Russia time Edited time: 04:37
RT

 Brendan McDermid / Reuters

A presumptive victory for Brexit has led to a sharp decline in the pound, hitting its lowest point since 1985.

The pound is now down over 8 percent against the US dollar, currently sitting at $1.34, depths it has not been plunged to in 31 years.

This is a drop of 15c from the highs it reached when polls closed and the referendum seemed to be going the way of ‘Remain.’

If ‘Leave’ comes out on top, the FTSE 100, when it opens at 8am BST, is expected to be down six percent.

If the vote for ‘Leave’ continues, experts predict the currency will continue to spiral downwards.

Some experts prior to voting forecast the pound would drop to as low as $1.20 in a Brexit scenario.

The biggest percentage drop for the pound was on October 24, 2008, when it declined 5.9 percent during the global stock market crash.

The pound on Friday has already set a record intraday swing of more than 10 percent between its high and low points.

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