CONSERVATIVE Rory Stewart has retained his Penrith and The Border seat with a massively increased majority.

Mr Stewart, who first won the seat in 2010, polled 26,202 votes which amounted to a 59.7 per cent share of the vote.

Mr Stewart's majority was 19,894 up from 11,241 in 2010.

Speaking to the Gazette moments after the result, he said he was 'privileged, honoured and moved'.

"I'm very honoured and really keen to work harder to be worthy of this vote," he said. "It's well beyond what I was expecting - I thought Ukip could reduce my majority.

"I'm really proud and it's largely the community's work."

Applauded by a group of fellow party members, his mother and wife, Mr Stewart said he was 'hugely thankful' to fellow candidates who he praised for their 'honesty'.

"What an immense privilege to have the extraordinary honour to represent Penrith and The Border - the most beautiful constituency in England," he added.

He also paid tribute to the people of Cumbria for showing their commitement to democracy.

In second place was Labour's Lee Rushworth who polled 6,308 votes.

UKIP candidate John Stanyer got 5,353 votes, Liberal Democrat Neil Hughes polled 3,745 votes and Bryan Burrow for the Green Party polled 2,313 votes.

Despite polling the smallest number of votes, Green candidate Bryan Burrow said he felt good.

"I think if you can do as well as we have here, then we can have confidence in going forward and building on this next time."

Ukip's John Stanyer, who polled more than four times the votes compared to 2010, said he was 'very pleased'.

He said: "I was hoping we could push into second but Labour's vote was up on last time round but on balance I think we've done very well.

"Rory Stewart is a very capable young man who I like a great deal and he's a good constituency MP."

The vote share change since 2010 was UKIP plus 9.4 per cent: Conservative plus 6.3 per cent; Green Party plus 5.3 per cent; Labour plus 1.4 per cent and Liberal Democrats minus 19.9 per cent.

The result was revealed at 5.45am after more than six hours of hushed verifying and counting from a team of over 60 people at Penrith Leisure Centre.

Of a 65,209-strong electorate, 44,057 people headed to the polls to exercise their right to vote.

There was a turnout of 67.56 per cent, down on 2010’s 70.04 per cent when 45,168 constituents out of a possible 64,484 cast their votes.

And according to an Eden District Council spokesman, there was an ‘extraordinary’ return of 8,240 postal votes – 90 per cent of those requested, and 18-19 per cent of the overall vote.

Penrith and the Border has been a Conservative safe seat since its conception in 1950.