As the Conservatives win all 18 seats in the county, this is how Essex's papers are reporting events:

• Southend West MP Sir David Amess holds his seat for the sixth election in a row with the most votes he's ever received, reports the Echo, external
• It's third time lucky for Giles Watling as the Conservative sweeps UKIP aside to win the Clacton seat with an "extraordinary" 15,828-vote majority, says the Clacton and Frinton Gazette, external
• Priti Patel gains an increased majority to hold her position as Witham MP, reports the Braintree and Witham Times, external

As UKIP leader Paul Nuttall announces he will resign immediately, Clacton's new Conservative MP Giles Watling says the town wanted "stability" - leading him to take UKIP's former seat.

"In Clacton people got the message that we did need some stability and power behind a prime minister to negotiate with the 27 countries of Europe," said Mr Watling.

New Tory MP Kemi Badenoch, external won the Saffron Walden seat with 37,629 votes and has pledged her support for the prime minister.

"She has lots of guts - she has been looking long-term at the problems coming down the line," said Ms Badenoch.

The former head of digital at The Spectator magazine takes over from the constituency's long-serving Conservative MP Sir Alan Haselhurst, external and said their primary difference was that he fought to remain in Europe, while she backed the campaign to leave.

As a member of the London Assembly - which she will now be standing down from - she has previous experience of working on transport and airport issues.

She told the BBC East TV's Election Special this morning that she will be carrying on her "hard work" on these issues - specifically on Stansted - while looking at the challenges commuters face.

UKIP lost the only seat it won in 2015 in Clacton to the Tories as its share was slashed nationally.

Image source, UKIP

The town's UKIP candidate, Paul Oakley, has called on leader Paul Nuttall to remain in the post despite the poor showing.

"We weren't prepared for this election - I don't think any of the non-Conservative parties were," he said.

"Had we had more time and knowledge that it was going to be announced, we could have done more but Paul is an excellent leader and I very much hope he will stay."

The London barrister was announced as the constituency candidate after a late-minute change by the party, in a move branded "shambolic" by one party activist.

A politics professor from the University of Essex says the main reason the UKIP vote sank is because of public infighting.

BBC Essex reporters have been on the county's streets getting people's reactions to the general election.

We've been doing a bit of calculating, and have run the numbers on all the votes cast across Essex to find out which of the 18 Conservative MPs has the biggest majority.

The winner was Kemi Badenoch, the new MP for Saffron Walden. She's taken over from Sir Alan Haselhurst, who announced his retirement a few weeks ago after acting as MP for the constituency since 1977. Ms Badenoch was elected with a majority of 24,966.

Meanwhile, the Essex MP with the smallest majority was Jackie Doyle-Price in Thurrock, where just 345 votes split her with the runner up, Labour's John Kent.

The average majority, in case anyone's interested, was 14,849.

The re-elected Conservative MP for Braintree has said Theresa May should not resign as prime minister.

There is now a hung parliament which means no party can get the 326 seats needed to win. The Conservatives currently have 315.

James Cleverly, external told BBC Essex Mrs May should stay.

"This was not the result we were expecting, but we will make the best of the situation... and she is absolutely right to say she is going to form a government," he said.

"It's mathematically impossible for anyone else to do so and she is the incumbent prime minister.

"So she is going to form a government, we're going to get stuck into those Brexit negotiations and get stuck into running the country in the interests of everyone in it."

It wasn't a great night for the Liberal Democrats in Colchester, where veteran politican Sir Bob Russell failed to make a return to his former winning ways and regain the seat he lost to the Conservatives in 2015.

He got 9,087 votes - a 10.5% decrease on his result two years ago. But he was philosophical about the result...

If you're not 100% sure, fear not. BBC Essex's political reporter Simon Dedman is here to explain.

Conservative Jackie Doyle-Price admits she doubted she would keep her seat.

Here in Essex, the Conservatives won every seat. But nationally, it's been a very good night for Labour, who have gained a number of important seats around the UK.

It's thought more young people turned out to vote this year - and one of them was 20-year-old Josh Duckmanton from Southend.

Image source, PA

"A vote in this election is a vote for real change, and a vote for hope. It's a vote for a difference for once, certainly for the first time for people of my generation," he said.

"I've missed some local elections through maybe apathy, maybe through lack of interest, but this one's certainly reignited an interest.

"And I would certainly vote again in future - many young people feel that."

A closer breakdown of those numbers:

• Conservative total: 528,949
• Labour: 261,671
• Lib Dem: 52,691
• UKIP: 41,478
• Green: 13,416
• Other: 5,536

Conservative MP John Baron was the first candidate across Essex to win a seat.

At that point, he said he was optimistic about an overall majority.

Former Clacton MP Douglas Carswell, who held the seat for the Conservatives and UKIP before becoming an independent in March, has been speculating about the future of his former party.

Here's how the Essex vote share is looking:

• Con 58% (+8%)
• Lab 29% (+11%)
• LD 6% (-1%)
• UKIP 5% (-16%)
• Green 1% (-2%)

BBC Essex's overnight election programme presenter, Ian Puckey, faces new challenges now he's off air...