TORIES held onto the Romsey and Southampton North parliamentary seat in spectacular style.

They waited nearly eight hours for the result they wanted but never expected their candidate Caroline Nokes to be returned to Westminster with the landslide victory the mum-of-one had. Not even Ms Nokes herself.

Ms Nokes polled a staggering 26,285 votes while her nearest rival Lib Dem candidate Ben Nicholls 8,573.

Speaking after the declarations were made at around 5.45am today (Friday May 8) a smiling Ms Nokes said: “I really didn’t see that coming. I am absolutely overwhelmed by the support that I’ve had and it bears testament to my team who have worked really hard through the five week campaign.

"I am fully committed to the constituency and will continue with all the hard that I have put during the last five years.

"The campaign has been polite and largely good natured and I would like to thank my fellow candidates for that. Our campaign was done in the good old fashioned way - knocking doors.”

From the early stages of the votes being counted it was clear Ms Nokes was going to win as the ballot paper for her piled up on the tables.

Ms Nokes mother Veronica Perry said: “I am absolutely delighted with the result and Caroline who has worked so and will continue to work hard.”

Her agent David Drew who was keeping an eye on the counting staff said several hours before the declaration was made “It’s looking very encouraging for us” and he was right.

Tory supporters filled the counting hall at Romsey’s Mountbatten School with huge cheers and clapping when the returning officer Roger Tetstall read out the result and at one point his words were drowned out by the noise from the Conservative camp.

Lib Dem Ben Nicholls was the first to congratulate Ms Nokes. Pointing out that he was “sorry that he didn’t win the seat back” for the Lib Dems, Mr Nicholls said: “It’s no point pretending otherwise it has been a terrible night nationally for the Lib Dems.”

Labour’s Darren Paffey who came third with 5,749 votes in the five-way fight for the Romsey and Southampton North parliamentary seat, said: “I am extremely pleased with the votes I got in this constituency.”

Sandra James UKIP’s candidate polled 5,511 votes also congratulated Ms Nokes on her victory.

And the Greens’ Ian Callaghan got 2,280 votes and he said he saw it as putting the Green Party on the road in Romsey.