The result at Crawley was balanced on a knife edge when officials were sent home in the early hours after two counts failed to confirm a winner.

A third count started afresh at noon and the situation was settled without change: Labour's Laura Moffat held on to the seat with a majority of 37 votes.

Tensions had run high as the first count drew to a close and candidates watched nervously from the gallery and the floor.

Sitting Labour MP Laura Moffatt arrived well after 3am in Labour red trousers and Conservative Henry Smith waited anxiously: tempers and temperatures rose as the count reached a late conclusion at 3.45am.

Hope gave way to more tension as the recount was announced with only 80 votes separating Labour and Conservative.

Ms Moffatt said: "To be honest I was expecting a recount. We've had some really hard issues to deal with and it's been tough."

Mr Smith said: "We realised going around the constituency that it was going to be close."

Mrs Moffatt won at the last General Election with a majority of 6,770 votes and a turnout of 55.4 per cent.

Her majority was cut by 10.2% on a turnout of 58.4%.