IT WAS a close run thing, but sixth-formers in Petersfield voted for the UK to stay in the European Union.

The 80 or so lower sixth pupils at Churcher’s?College, who are aged 16 and 17, will be unable to take part in the national referendum if it is held this year.

But they gave a show of hands at a Big Debate event held at the school in association with Westminster thinktank Civitas.

Before the discussion, which gave them plenty of food for thought first thing on a Monday morning, they were – just – in favour of the motion ‘Leaving Europe will do irreparable harm to Britain’.

After hearing both sides of the argument from Eurosceptic David Moller and Euro supporter Mike Biden, and putting them on the spot with pertinent questions, they voted the same way at the end, albeit with Mike losing a few of the young voters along the way.

The event is the latest in a series of EU debates that Civitas and the European Movement are taking into schools across the country.

Churcher’s student Imogen Bowley was concerned that Britain would become isolated if it left the EU.

Rebecca Sutcliffe asked if borders could be better protected if the UK went it alone.

Will Comber asked:?“Is there the possibility of a corrupt, dictatorial EU?”

Speaker Mike, an events organiser at the Hampshire branch of the European Movement, said the referendum was “probably the most important vote we will make in UK democratic history.”

He spoke about inclusion meaning “freedom, opportunity and rights”. The EU had been “outstandingly successful” on peace, and was the world’s largest economy.

David, a former Reader’s Digest journalist, said the EU?was “lawless, corrupt and anti-democratic”.

He wanted to see Britain being a self-governing nation with control over laws passed, and an end to all the regulations from Brussels.