Blackpool smoking ban rebel Hamish Howitt was soundly beaten by the Conservatives David Davies last night in the Haltemprice and Howden by-election.

Mr Howitt, standing as a Freedom Party candidate, lost his £500 election deposit after failing to get five percent of the votes.

He received 91 votes which represented a 0.38 percent share.

A further 21 candidates also lost their deposits after Mr Davies, who triggered the by-election by resigning last month in protest at the government's plan to detain terror suspects without charge for up to 42 days, sweeped to victory with 17,113 votes.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats refused to field candidates in the by-election, which Prime Minister Gordon Brown described as a ‘stunt’.