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Many of them agreed after a group of academics and professionals based in the UK and France, called 鈥楢ction for Europe鈥�, organised a crowdfunding campaign having heard of Bordeaux avocat Julien Fouchet鈥檚 bid to challenge the Brexit vote. They raised money to pay legal fees for 10 participants.

Mr Fouchet鈥檚 case, which The Con颅nexion broke news of in English-language media in April, aims to show that exclusion from the referendum of expat Britons who had been outside the UK for more than 15 years 鈥� means it was illegal under EU equality rules. He will argue the EU should not be negotiating with the UK based on an 鈥榠llegal鈥� referendum, and the negotiation directives the EU drew up to outline its objectives for talks should be set aside.

Mr Fouchet hopes the Britons鈥� testimonies about how they are personally affected by Brexit, will help him pass the first hurdle 鈥� gaining permission to bring the case.

He says he was prompted to act out of a sense of 鈥楨uropean solidarity鈥� and is charging minimal fees.

Mr Fouchet said he plans to lodge his request with the General Court of the EU before the end of July. He believes it will 鈥渃ause a big splash鈥�.

He said he is encouraged by a recent ruling of the General Court that legal challenges to 鈥榩reparatory EU documents鈥� are acceptable. That would apply to his case, which centres on the EU鈥檚 publication of its negotiating directives.

Mr Shindler said: 鈥淲e [Britons in the EU27] are more concerned by the referendum result than others.

鈥淏ritish people in Britain, whatever happens, are not going to have to move, but here we have a situation where two million Brits might have to move 鈥� many of us elderly.

鈥淚鈥檓 giving full support to anything Mr Fouchet can do for us, especially if it helps get us back our vote.鈥�

He added: 鈥淚 had a letter from David Cameron promising I would have my vote back if he won the General Election 鈥� and since then there have been two General Elections and a referendum and in all of these we鈥檝e been denied the vote. It could happen again if another is called. It is unacceptable.鈥�

Another Briton taking part, Nick March from Gironde, came to France in 1973 with his parents, aged 11. Although he is British he has never been allowed a vote.

He said: 鈥淲ithout an EU my life would have been completely different. The referendum wasn鈥檛 a local, Britain-only matter. It鈥檚 caused me and many friends so much worry. Were I to have to return to England, I would be in a total mess.鈥�

He hopes the case will block negotiations. 鈥淭he EU will have no mandate to negotiate a Brexit because the Brexit [vote] itself was flawed.鈥�

The 鈥楢ction for Expat Votes鈥� crowd颅funding is at: