Tellers have been hit by a leak in the roof of the counting hall in the St Albans constituency.

Some tables had to be moved but the counting went on unaffected.

Emma Baugh
BBC Look East

It's a bit chilly at the Bedford declaration which will be coming to you live from a big white tent.

Gloves and a massive flask are essential.

Nicola Haseler
BBC Three Counties

Staffing problems at the count at Hitchin and Harpenden has led to a number of empty desks.

Many tellers have not made it in and officials are having to ask people who have been manning the polling stations to come in and do a double shift.

Nicola Haseler
BBC Three Counties

Lib Dems have got into the Christmas spirit with yellow Santa hats at the election count in Hitchin and Harpenden in Hertfordshire.

The seat was created in 1997 when it was won by Peter Lilley for the Conservative Party and it's been a Tory hold ever since.

Apart from Luton and Bedford, the political map was solid blue in 2017.

Andy Holmes
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter

Reports are coming in from the count in Bedford suggesting that the Conservatives are set to take the seat from Labour.

It was one of the closest-run seats in 2017, when Labour's Mohammed Yason beat Tory MP Richard Fuller by just 789 votes.

This year, the Conservative candidate is Ryan Henson, who is head of government relations for the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development.

Andrew Sinclair
BBC Look East political correspondent

Before today's election, the Conservatives held most of the seats in the East and the expectation is that they will continue to do so.

Image source, Geograph/Michael Wade

But could the party be on the verge of holding nearly EVERY seat in the region?

If its Brexit message has gone down well in this largely leave supporting region, it should take North Norfolk and Ipswich (pictured) and hold its existing seats with increased majorities.

For Labour, it will be a tense night. It currently holds Ipswich, Peterborough and Bedford with majorities of under a thousand - they've been putting a lot of effort into taking Norwich North.

Success in these seats will show the party still has notable support in this region - failure would be a bitter blow.

Nic Rigby
BBC News

This election has seen the retirement from parliament of one of the most colourful and controversial speakers of recent years, John Bercow (pictured).

Image source, PA Media

After 22 years representing Buckingham, his departure also means that, for the first time in more than a decade, people living in his constituency will get to take part in a proper election.

In the last two elections, the mainstream parties chose not to field candidates, an unwritten rule in whichever seat the speaker sits in, although that did not stop Nigel Farage putting up a UKIP candidate in 2010.

Even before Bercow’s elevation, this seat has been Conservative since the 1960s so Greg Smith, the Tory candidate, will fancy his chances first time out. His wife is expecting their child in January.

That said, the Lib Dems, on paper, have a strong challenger in the shape of former Tory Health Minister Stephen Dorrell.

Nic Rigby
BBC News

The 2019 election has seen an unprecedented number of high profile independents standing for seats.

Image source, Facebook/Best for Britain

This has mostly been due to disagreements with their own party.

One of most well-known rebels against Boris Johnson was Dominic Grieve (pictured below) who had been the Conservative MP for Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire since 1997.

He lost a motion of confidence with his party in 2019 and so is standing as an independent with the backing of former Conservative Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine.

Mr Grieve has also received support from actor Hugh Grant (pictured top), who appeared on Facebook to back Mr Grieve.

Other independents standing include Gavin Shuker (Luton South), who became disillusioned with Labour in the spring, and David Gauke (South West Herts), a former Conservative who also rebelled against Boris Johnson's Brexit policy.

Andy Holmes
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter

Hertfordshire has 11 constituencies and until September they were all Conservative.

However, the MP for South West Herts David Gauke (pictured), lost his place in the party over his Brexit views, but still has stood as an Independent against his old party.

Image source, PA Media

The Liberal Democrats fancies its chances of taking St Albans, despite Tory MP Anne Main’s 6,000 majority, whilst Watford could be close too. It’s a Tory seat currently, but with a 2,000 majority from Labour, and the standing MP Richard Harrington not seeking re-election.

Hertford and Stortford gets a new MP, following Mark Prisk’s retirement, and Labour and the Lib Dems are also targeting Stevenage. The other six seats are likely to remain Tory.

Andy Holmes
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter

Bedfordshire is split between the Conservatives and Labour. The Tories tend to hold on to more rural seats like Mid Beds, South West Beds and North East Beds, although there will be a new MP in the latter, following Alistair Burt’s decision to stand down.

Image source, Geograph/Robin Stott

In Luton, (pictured) the North and South seats are both Independent currently for different reasons. Kelvin Hopkins in the North, who won’t stand again, was suspended by Labour over sexual harassment claims that he denies, while in the South, Gavin Shuker has been Independent since leaving Labour in the Spring and will stand again.

Labour have held both seats since 1997, and Kelvin’s daughter Rachel, stands in the South. Which leaves Bedford and Kempston, which Labour hold by just 789 votes from the Tories after 2017.

Andy Holmes
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter

Historically,Buckinghamshire is a strong Conservative county and there’s a good chance that will remain the same following tonight's counts.

Muddying the waters, though, are seats like Beaconsfield, where former Tory Dominic Grieve (pictured) stands as an Independent after losing his place in the party over Brexit.

Elsewhere, the Milton Keynes seats were fairly tight in 2017, with Conservatives holding both, but by under 2,000 votes, and both Labour candidates from last time will stand again in a town that has a Labour-led council.

There’s also interest in Aylesbury, Buckingham and Milton Keynes North, with the standing MPs choosing not to seek re-election this time, meaning at least three fresh faces heading to Westminster.

Andy Holmes
BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter

Bedford was the county's closest run seat in 2017, when Labour’s Mohammad Yasin (pictured above) pipped Tory MP Richard Fuller to the seat by just 789 votes.

Image source, UK Parliament

In the first five elections of the decade, Labour have claimed the seat three times, with the Tories having it twice, so we could be in for another close one this time.

Historically, it has tended to be a two-horse race, which is ironic considering Bedford is run by a Liberal Democrat elected mayor in Dave Hodgson.

The BBC is reporting from all of the 24 election counts in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

The three counties mainly returned Conservatives at the last general election in 2017.

The exceptions were Luton South, Luton North and Bedford, which went to Labour.

There could be interesting battles ahead in constituencies where the politicians who won in 2017 have left their parties and are standing as independents in this one.

Former Conservatives Dominic Grieve in Beaconsfield and David Gauke in South West Herts are going up against Tories this time.

In Luton South, Labour's Gavin Shuker won in 2017, but he is also standing as an independent this time.

Check who's standing on the BBC's Find a constituency page.