SPECULATION at Purfleet's Backstage Centre is that Conservative Jackie Doyle-Price could have a majority of around 11,000 - after winning the seat in 2017 by just 345 votes.

Labour, who fielded local candidate John Kent again, believe their share of the vote has held up, but with no Brexit candidate in the ward the 10,112 votes polled by UKIP's Tim Aker two years ago appear to have all migrated to the Tories.

A Labour spokesperson said: "It looks brutal for us. Not a very good night."