All the ballot boxes for Oxford East have now arrived at Oxford Town Hall.

A team of 110 counters and supervisors are verifying the votes before counting begins in the next few minutes.

None of the candidates have arrived yet in the building yet but are expected in the next hour or so.

The result is still expected in at about 2.30am.

Liberal Democrat campaigner Patrick Murray said he had no idea if Lib Dem candidate Steve Goddard would defeat Labour's Andrew Smith, who has held the seat since 1987.

He said: "Steve Goddard has been fantastic hitting the doorsteps and that has been going very well. We will have to see what happens. It's going to be very, very close. It's impossible to say at this point."

Alastair Johnson, 39, of Bickerton Road, Headington, brought his son Eugene, 13, along to watch democracy in action from the balcony.

Mr Johnson said: “He is studying it at school so I wanted to show him the drama of the count and for him to see it in action. It's something to be taken very seriously.”

Eugene said: “It's a once in a lifetime type of election.”