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The UK Government has insisted that last month's referendum on the country's continued EU membership was a 'once in a generation vote' that should not be repeated.

In an email sent to those who signed the online petition on the government website, the Foreign Office said more than 33million voters turned out on June 23 to have their say, and that the result 'must be respected'.

Here is the email in full:
"The European Union Referendum Act received Royal Assent in December 2015, receiving overwhelming support from Parliament. The Act did not set a threshold for the result or for minimum turnout.
"The EU Referendum Act received Royal Assent in December 2015. The Act was scrutinised and debated in Parliament during its passage and agreed by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The Act set out the terms under which the referendum would take place, including provisions for setting the date, franchise and the question that would appear on the ballot paper. The Act did not set a threshold for the result or for minimum turnout.
"As the Prime Minister made clear in his statement to the House of Commons on 27 June, the referendum was one of the biggest democratic exercises in British history with over 33 million people having their say. The Prime Minister and Government have been clear that this was a once in a generation vote and, as the Prime Minister has said, the decision must be respected. We must now prepare for the process to exit the EU and the Government is committed to ensuring the best possible outcome for the British people in the negotiations."

The email was sent in response to a petition - which had been signed more than 4.1million times - that has already sparked controversy, after it emerged that thousands of signatures were fake.