Sitting candidate Davies Davies has held on to the Monmouth constituency increasing his majority to almost 11,000 votes after a tense night at Chepstow Leisure Centre.

Mr Davies claimed 23,701 votes - an increase of almost two percent on 2010. He beat Labour's Ruth Jones who polled 12,719 votes and UKIP's Gareth Dunn with 4,942.

Lib Dem Veronica German received 2,496 votes, Jonathan Clark for Plaid Cymru, 1,875, Green Party candidate Christopher Were received 1,629 and with English Democrat Stephen Morris bringing up the rear with 100 votes.

Speaking in the early hours of Friday morning as his win was announced Mr Davies paid tribute to his 'long suffering wife' and members of Monmouthshire County Councll who had supported his campaign.

He also thanked the local Conservative Association and his friends and colleagues.

"This was a good-natured and fair campaign. We all put our views across, and all parties here have a reason to be happy.

"The good thing here is, we were able to decide these things in a room with a ballot paper, and not at the end of a gun, as is sadly the norm in some countries."

Returning officer Paul Matthews paid tribute to the people of the constituency who had voted during the day, saying that the impressive 76 per cent turn out - ten percent above the national turnout - was a 'victory for democracy'

Council leader Peter Fox said that he had been impressed with the way the election campaign had been conducted.

In neighbouring Brecon and Radnorshire Conservative Christopher Davies saw off the challenge of the Lib Dem sitting tenant Roger Williams gaining 41.1 per cent of the vote with a swing of 17.8 per cent away from the Liberal, who won a majority of more than 5,000 five years ago.