SCIENTISTS and academics from York have backed a plea to keep Britain in the EU.

Hundreds of scientists from Yorkshire have signed a statement backing the campaign to stay in the EU, and among them are several York-based academics warning that groundbreaking research in the city relies on European money.

Professors at universities in York, Leeds, Sheffield and Huddersfield, and some of the region’s top scientists, have thrown their weight behind the Remain campaign.

In a joint statement, 253 scientists from Yorkshire and the Humber say that leaving the EU would “stifle our science, innovation and jobs", while another 108 academics have said "the interests of British universities and the knowledge economy they represent" are best served by staying in the EU.

The region has had more than £100 million in EU funding for scientific research, and is expected to receive £600 million more by 2020 if Britain stays in the EU.

The money funds medical research into diseases like cancer and their treatments. Among the recent projects is prostate cancer research at the University of York and work on the European Network for Cancer Research in Children and Adolescents carried out by the University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Their full statement says Britain is much better off inside the "science superpower" of the EU, and adds: "Scientific advance and innovation are critically dependent on collaboration. To remain a world-leading science nation, we must be team players."

Sheffield based law professor Tamara Hervey added: "Being in the EU is vital for having strong science and a successful economy in AREA.

"It means more investment, more innovation and working together across borders to solve the big challenges we face, from cancer to heart disease.

"The choice in this referendum comes down to who you trust, the experts and academics or the politicians leading the Leave campaign.

"I hope voters will think carefully about the long-term impact of their decision, because there is no going back."