EU referendum: Happy birthday to EU! Shropshire's Richard to celebrate 18th with a vote

Richard Vaughan-Evans will turn 18 tomorrow as the country votes to decide whether or not to stay part of the European Union.

And while he has made up his mind which way he will cast his very first vote, Richard, who lives in Baschurch, says more should be done to engage the younger generation.

"At first I was quite nervous. I feel it is quite a big thing and quite a big change to the country," he said. "It took me a while to come up with my decision, but I personally have decided it is best to vote to remain in the EU."

Richard says he wouldn't be surprised if there was a Brexit vote but that for him Remain is the best option, adding: "Europe has a lot of opportunities for me. Travel is cheaper, quicker and easier than it would be and I feel if I wanted to start a business it would be beneficial to stay in the EU. A lot of people are concerned about immigration and I do think it is a big problem, but I don't think leaving the EU is the answer."

Richard said that while he learns about British values at North Shropshire College, he doesn't have much opportunity to learn and discuss politics, adding: "In this area there are a lot of people my age but we don't have much engagement."

He also said he has not felt much encouragement to young people from MPs.

He said: "Any effort would be great to engage us, it is a very important decision."