WHILST County Durham voted to leave the European Union in 2016, the city itself cut a lonely figure after voting to remain.

Just over 56 per cent of voters in Durham put their cross in the box to remain and on the city streets yesterday opinion was still closely divided.

Independent trader Susan Platten, of Crafty-Nook in Durham Market Hall, voted to stay in the EU but said: "You've got to go with the majority, that's democracy. I'm just pleased it is actually happening, but I would like to know what it will mean.

"Trade is my main concern, I want to know how it will affect businesses and banks. I've already noticed the big companies I deal with starting to put up prices, a lot of their supplies come from Europe and they don't know if it is going to cost more to bring stuff over."

The Northern Echo:

Part-time anthropology teacher Dr Eddie Bakhtiar, 46, feels today is a sad day for the country.

He said: "I think there is a fake nationalism in England, a lot of people don't understand politics and voting for Brexit was a way to stick two fingers up to the Government.

"I feel sad about that.

"Some people in this country feel disempowered, the Anglo-Saxons are gone, foreigners get the blame.

"Sunderland was the first leave city, despite Nissan. The priority for them is to have a little bit of money, to have frozen pizza, Love Island and go to bed."

The Northern Echo:

Retired foreign languages lecturer Mary Pearson, 78, said: "I'm a very keen Europhile, always have been.

"I was brought up during the Second World War, I know the value of cooperation and a united Europe.

"My father was in West Africa I now how hard people worked and fought for victory and I think it has all been thrown away.

"It is black, a terminal day."

The Northern Echo:

Durham 75-year-old Connie Smith said she will have the flags out today to mark Brexit.

However her husband Kenneth Smith, 79, has some reservations about the country's future prospects outside the EU.

Mrs Smith said: "I voted leave because I want our island back.

"I'll be celebrating with a cream cake and feeling relieved that something is finally happening more than three years after the referendum."

The Northern Echo:

Mr Smith said: "I don't believe anything will really change, my main concerns are about fishing and agriculture policies.

"I don't know what the farmers will do without subsidies, I guess we'll pay them and taxes will go up.

"One of the things I'm most dubious about is fishing rights, I feel we should have all our waters back.

"I'm also wondering a lot about the future of Nissan. If tariffs come in and Nissan find it uneconomical they could pull out of England, they have capacity to take that work to Japan which leaves thousands of people in difficulty."

The Northern Echo:

Citizens Advice Bureau volunteer Martin Robson, 62, voted leave as he hopes in the long-term UK workers' rights and conditions can be improved.

He said: "The reasons I voted to leave are the same now as they were then.

"In essence, migration from the EU has kept down the wages of the lowest paid workers in this country because employers can afford to get away with not paying any more.

"And it has an effect on productivity as it is easier and cheaper to pay people low wages rather than invest in productivity."