The Sun newspaper has backed a Leave vote in the EU referendum as Brexit takes a lead in the polls.

In a front page editorial for Tuesday's paper, it urged voters to 'BeLeave in Britain' when they vote on June 23.

The endorsement comes after two polls gave Brexit a lead among voters. A survey for the Guardian newspaper by ICM has the Leave campaign on 53% with Remain trailing behind on 47%, while a YouGov poll for the Times gave Leave a seven-point lead on 46%, while only 39% supported staying in the EU.

The newspaper's Scottish edition, where support for a remain vote is much higher, has not yet endorsed either side.

"We are about to make the biggest ­political decision of our lives", the Sun editorial read.

"The Sun urges everyone to vote Leave. We must set ourselves free from dictatorial Brussels. Throughout our 43-year membership of the European Union it has proved increasingly greedy, wasteful, bullying and breathtakingly incompetent in a crisis.

"Next Thursday, at the ballot box, we can correct this huge and ­historic mistake. It is our last chance. Because, be in no doubt, our future looks far bleaker if we stay in."

"Outside the EU we can become richer, safer and free at long last to forge our own destiny - as America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many other great democracies already do.

"And as we were the first to do centuries ago. If we stay, Britain will be engulfed in a few short years by this relentlessly expanding ­German dominated federal state.

"For all David Cameron's witless assurances, our powers and values will be further eroded."

Polling expert Professor John Curtice, of Strathclyde University, said the ICM survey is "consistent" with recent polls.

He said: "These results are consistent with the generality of numbers over the last couple of weeks, in which there has been some weakening in the remain position.

"It was already plain that this race was far closer than the prime minister intended, and he must now be feeling discomfort at the thought that the outcome really could be in doubt".

The EU referendum will take place on June 23. It is the first vote on Britain's membership since 1975.