NICOLA Blackwood increased her majority by more than 9,000 votes as she was comfortably returned to parliament.

Ms Blackwood won the seat by just 176 votes in 2010 but this time out she won 26,153 votes to 16,571 for Layla Moran of the Liberal Democrats.

It mirrored a bitterly disappointing result for the Liberal Democrats across the country.

Ms Moran polled about 7,000 votes less than Evan Harris did when he lost the seat to Ms Blackwood in 2010.

Ms Blackwood said: "I think the public have put their trust in the Conservatives and nationally we are seeing that".

Sally Copley secured third place for Labour with 7,274 votes, up from just under 6,000 in 2010.

UKIP was fourth with 3,963 and the Greens were fifth with 2,497.

NHA candidate Helen Salisbury won 723 votes and socialist GB candidate Mike Foster won 66.