LABOUR has claimed it could retain third place in the fight for the Newton Abbot seat. Candidate Roy Freer, a publican in town, even joked that he and UKIP hopeful Rod Peers had a £5 bet on the outcome.

In the 2010 election Labour secured 3,387 votes, a seven per cent share of the total and down 4.4 per cent on 2005.

Having studied the ballot boxes being emptied at Newton Abbot Racecourse Mr Freer said shortly after 1am: 'It's looking very good although clearly we are starting from a low base.

'Here I predict we will pick up at least double what we did last time. But if we do any better than 2010 I'll be very pleased.

'Third I'd be happy with and I've even a fiver with UKIP's Rod Peers that I'll finish above him.'

The total electorate in the Teignbridge district amounts to 103,118 people. Of those 69,928 were registered to vote in the Newton Abbot constituency.