Duncan Leatherdale
BBC News Online

Labour's Bridget Phillipson saw her share of the vote in Houghton and Sunderland South increase from 55% in 2015 to 60% this time around however her majority was down 597.

She secured 24,665 votes, twice as many as the Conservative's Paul Howell who got 12,324.

But Mr Howell did see his vote share increase from 18.5% in 2015 to 30% this time.

UKIP saw their share drop from 21.5% in 2015 to 6% in 2017.

Counting is under way in Barrow and Furness.

Prof John Curtice says: "According to the exit poll there should be a 4 point increase in the Conservative vote here, while Labour’s vote is expected to be up by 13 points. In practice, the Conservative vote is up by 11 points and the Labour vote by just 4.

"The result is thus a much better result for the Conservatives than expected by the exit poll."

Sunderland were beaten by Newcastle to be the first to declare this year. Here's football commentator Gary Lineker's take on it

Richard Moss
Political Editor, BBC Look North

Conservative vote surges more in Brexit-voting Houghton and Sunderland South than in Newcastle Central.

Those results in Newcastle and Sunderland didn't show the swing to Labour expected in exit poll but results may vary across the UK.

Prof John Custice says: "According to the exit poll there should be a 5 point decrease in the Conservative vote here, while Labour’s vote is expected to be up by 19 points. In practice, the Conservative vote is up by 6 points and the Labour vote by 10.

"The result is thus a smaller swing to Labour than expected by the exit poll."

Duncan Leatherdale
BBC News Online

Labour's Chi Onwurah secured 24,071 votes, almost 15,000 more than second placed Conservative Steve Kyte.

Mr Kyte got 9,134, Liberal Democrat Nick Cott won 1,812, UKIP's David Muat 1,482 and the Green Party's Peter Thompson got 595.

Ms Onwurah saw her share increase from 55% at the 2015 election to 65% this time around.

Labour have retained Houghton & Sunderland South.

So Newcastle won the race to declare first - David Dimbleby wonders "what happened to Sunderland".

Labour retain the Newcastle Central constituency.

Here are the ballot boxes arriving in Sunderland earlier - the declaration is expected very soon.

The rest of the country might be biting its nails over the result of this election but, in parts of the North East, there's something else going on.

Houghton and Sunderland South might have a reputation for declaring first - but Newcastle is hot on its heels this year.

BBC Look North weather presenter Jen Bartram - a woman not unfamiliar with team rivalry - likens it to a Wear-Tyne derby.

Duncan Leatherdale
BBC News Online

Here are some pictures of the action in Sunderland as they race to return a result - shouldn't be long now until we hear something.

Image source, Reuters/Ed Sykes

Image source, REUTERS/Ed Sykes

Image source, REUTERS/Ed Sykes

Alison Freeman
BBC Look North

Turnout for Houghton and Sunderland South is 61%.

The BBC's election results programme says the exit poll suggests Stockton South might have been taken from the Conservatives by Labour.

James Wharton has been the MP in the constituency since 2010 and won again 2015 with an increased share of the vote.

Image source, Conservative Party

Counting has begun in Redcar but the result is not expected until 03:00.

Here's what BBC News' Sima Kotecha is reporting on Twitter from the count in Kendal for Westmorland and Lonsdale.

She's been following the Liberal Democrat campaign throughout the election.