ELECTION 2017: Updates through the night

03.15: TEESDALE'S MP Helen Goodman had her majority cut by 3,000 but clung on to her seat in a tight race.
The Labour candidate beat her Conservative opponent Christopher Adams who took 20,306 to Mrs Goodman's 20,808.
 Mrs Goodman said Mr Adams had run an "extremely good campaign" but added that the visit of foreign secretary Boris Johnson to the constituency had cost him.
"I am very privileged to have been elected for the Bishop Auckland constituency," she added. 

Conservative county councillor for Barnard Castle West, Ted Henderson, said Mr Adams had been "robbed".
Full report and coverage in next week's Teesdale Mercury.

That concludes tonight's Teesdale Mercury coverage. Thank you for joining us and good night.

RESULT: 

Helen Goodman, Labour - 20,808
Christopher Adams, Conservative - 20,306
Ciaran Morrissey, Lib Dem - 1,176
Adam Walker, BNP - 991

Helen Goodman is duly elected as the member of parliament for Bishop Auckland. 

02.00: It looks like counting is complete.

01.50: The second stage of voting is still ticking on - and it's close. Teesdale Labour's Frank Roche said the vote would be "less than 1,000 votes either way". Meanwhile, young Liberal Democrat candidate Ciaran Morrissey said it had been a "pretty intense" experience on the trail. He added: "I don't know where I'll be this time next year - we don't know whether they'll be another election in six months' time or in five years."

00.40: Photos confirm the ballot piles for Labour and the Conservatives are close across the counting floor. The first stage of counting has been completed and a total of 43,359 votes were cast. The turnout was 64.08%. Compared to the 2015 general election that is an increase in turnout of 4,970 votes and a turnout increase of 4.48%. Papers are now going through the "review" stage before the second count begins.

23:50: A pensive Helen Goodman has arrived at the count. She said it was "too early to tell" just yet but was sure the result would come "before the Mercury went to print" - I should hope so...
Cllr Bell echoed that sentiment - pointing to fairly even piles of votes thus far. Conservative Chris Adams, 28, has also landed on the counting floor. As has chairman of the BNP Adam Walker. In the campaign he said if he took "just one vote" from Helen Goodman he'd be happy.

23.15: We're off nationally and the final boxes from around the dale's seat arrived at 11.10pm - ahead of schedule. Tory Cllr Richard Bell reckons the Bishop Auckland seat is looking "very close" at the moment but he adds that Helen Goodman looks to have retained her lead in Shildon and Spennymoor.

23.00: Just a reminder of the four candidates for the Bishop Auckland seat: Labour's Helen Goodman has held the constituency for the past 12 years. In 2015, she won with a majority of 3,500. Conservative candidate Christopher Adams was 8/11 favourite with bookies William Hill last night to clinch the seat - whether that happens remains to be seen. The Liberal Democrats are represented by Newcastle University masters student Ciaran Morrissey while chairman of the British National Party, Adam Walker, is the dale seat's fourth and final candidate.

22.35: Ballot boxes are now steadily filing through the main alcove of the leisure centre. An indication of the turnout will come through at about 1.30am once that first stage of counting is out of the way. The press bench is gradually filling up too - and we're plied with plenty of healthy snacks to keep us going...

22.05: As the implications of that exit poll soak in one or two familiar faces to Teesdale have arrived. Conservative county councilllors Ted Henderson and Richard Bell are in the building, As are members of Teesdale Labour Frank Roche and Judi Sutherland. Candidates haven't arrived just yet but there's plenty of water to go under the bridge this evening. Meanwhile, deputy returning officer John Hewitt has given a brief explanation of how the night will unfold and some of the timings. The last ballots will have arrived for the Bishop Auckland constituency at about 11.30pm with the first stage of counting completed at about 1.30am. Then ballots denoted as "bad" can be checked over by candidate staff as the final stage of counting gets underway. Mr Hewitt expects the result to come in between 3am and 4am so it could be a touch later than first estimated.

21.40: Good evening and welcome to the Teesdale Mercury's coverage of the 2017 General Election from Spennymoor Leisure Centre. It's quiet at the moment but all eyes will be cast to the 10pm exit poll to see where we stand early doors nationally. Then the ballots will start to arrive from all around the Bishop Auckland constituency and Teesdale as the night wares on. The result is expected to be announced at about 3am - so put the kettle on or set an alarm for around that time to hear how the four candidates have got on.

15:55 - Good afternoon and welcome to the Teesdale Mercury's coverage of the 2017 General Election. Our eyes will be on the Bishop Auckland seat with reporters Alex Metcalfe and Martin Paul on standby from the count at Spennymoor Leisure Centre between 9.30pm and 10pm.

We'll be putting up updates and pictures on this page and our Facebook site as the night wears on. Bishop Auckland's result is due to be announced at about 3am.

Polls close tonight at 10pm - join us then.