As Vote Leave and Vote Remain campaigners battle it out across the country ahead of the EU referendum on June 23, hundreds of people attended a debate in Marlborough to put their burning questions to the politicians.

More than 500 people, young and old attended the debate chaired by Devizes MP Claire Perry at the Memorial Hall in Marlborough College on Thursday.

She was joined by Jacob Rees-Mogg, MP for North East Somerset and Laura Sandys, Chair of the European Movement UK.

Mrs Perry said: “We are here tonight because we want to help the people vote with confidence because there is nothing worse I think than a lacklustre vote of a very close result. We need to have a definitive result.”

At the beginning of the debate about 60 per cent of the audience admitted they were undecided about which way they were going to vote.

Vote Leave represented by Mr Rees-Mogg and Vote Remain represented by Mrs Sandy battled it out in their opening statements and then answered questions from the audience.

Mr Rees-Mogg said: I think the key question is what do you see your country as - the EU or the UK? I see it as the United Kingdom and I think we would do better without the constraints of the European Union.”

Immigration was an issue brought up several times during the evening and while Mr Rees-Mogg believed that leaving the EU would help the country take back its borders and cherry pick skilled labourers, Mrs Sandys argued immigration was being “mis-sold” by the campaign.

Two audience members asked what the process of leaving the EU would be, something which both sides agreed could take two years or more – their views on the negotiation between the UK and EU differed though.

Mrs Sandys argued that after sending their demands to the EU, the UK would be sat “kicking their heels” while the EU discussed them without any further input.

Another man from the military constituency asked what the panels thoughts were on the possibility of the creation of a European Army as suggested by Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission.

The Vote Leave campaigner argued that it was another sign of the European super state extending its power over its subjects, while the Remain campaigner was adamant it would never happen.

Other questions asked by the audience focused on the process of leaving the EU if it happened, the economy, business, agriculture, law and security with one member raising concerns over the effect leaving the EU will have on his small manufacturing business.

Mrs Sandys said: “People need to think thoroughly about their decision because it is probably one of the most important votes we had in years.

I believe we should stay in because it is absolutely crucial that we become assertive in shaping our future and to focus on Europe plus the rest of the world because we should want it all.”

At the end of the debate about 30 per cent of the audience remained undecided.

Speaking after the debate, Mrs Perry said: "It's often said that people are disinterested in politics, uet the insightful questions and passionate contributions from many who attended the EU Referendum debate in Marlborough showed just how seriously people are considering the decisions they will make on June 23.

"I have committed to my Constituents that I will do all I can to ensure they have the information they need to be confident about their voting decision next month, and I would encourage anyone who has further questions to email claire.perry.mp@parliament.uk and I will try and find information to help."