NEWTON Abbot Conservative Anne Marie Morris has said tonight's count will be a three-horse race with UKIP representing a real challenge in the constituency for the first time.

'I'm feeling excited, this has been a really long campaign,' she said soon after all 100 ballot boxes had been received from all 53 polling stations.

'Clearly all we can see at the moment is a sample [of the papers]. Labour is doing well in some parts of Newton Abbot which is to be expected and the Liberal Democrats are doing well in parts of Teignmouth.

'At the moment we seem, as Conservatives, to be doing okay.

'Last time round it was very close, this time round it's a three-party race and that's going to be the interesting factor.

'UKIP have said they'd like to come second but I find it hard to really assess that looking at the samples but the one thing I will say I think all three of us are going to be fairly close so the order is going to be interesting.'

As the clock struck midnight the Conservatives were predicted to be the biggest winner in the election nationally but with not enough seats to create a majority government.