Nightmare election for Labour as they lose seven key seats
Redcar, Sedgefield, Darlington, Stockton South, Durham North West and Bishop Auckland all fall
Redcar and Bishop Auckland had never had a Conservative MP
Conservatives also take Blyth Valley for the first time since it was created in 1950
Alex Cunningham, new Labour MP for Stockton North, calls on Corbyn to resign
Labour hold Hartlepool in the face of Brexit Party and Tories
Labour hold more than a dozen other seats, all with reduced majorities
Conservatives have won an overall majority in the general election
Lee Johnson
BBC Tees
Conservatives in Hartlepool tell me: “Brexit Party and Conservatives have wiped each other out.”
The piles on the tables pretty much confirm that.
Told we could have a declaration around 02:00, and it looks like a Labour hold at the moment.
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Anthony Day
BBC Newcastle
Hearing from sources here in Blyth that the full recount for the Wansbeck seat is because the vote is "even closer" than the result for the Blyth Valley (Conservatives now have a 712 majority there).
Result expected in 20 minutes.
Bridget Phillipson retained Houghton and Sunderland South for Labour and said her party must change.
Her 3,115 majority over the Tories was significantly down from 12,341 in 2017.
She said: "The Labour Party was founded to advance the interests of working people and we are failing in that mission if we don't secure the confidence of enough working people in the country to form a government."
Emma Lewell-Buck has held South Shields for Labour, with a 15.9% cut in her majority.
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Catherine McKinnell has been re-elected as the MP for Newcastle Upon Tyne North, with a decreased majority.
The Labour candidate beat Conservative Mark Lehain by 5,765 votes, 4,584 votes less than the majority at the 2017 election.
Nicholas Cott of the Liberal Democrats came third and the Brexit Party's Richard Ogden came fourth.
Voter turnout was down by 4.5 percentage points since the last general election.
Nearly 47,000 people, 68.6% of those eligible to vote, went to polling stations across the area on Thursday, in the first December general election since 1923.
One of the five candidates, Alistair Ford (Green) lost his £500 deposit after failing to win 5% of the vote.
This story was created using some automation.
If you were waiting for the result in Wansbeck, put the kettle on...
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Ana Guerra-Moore
BBC News Online
A Conservative source tells me that their Tynemouth candidate Lewis Bartoli is giving Labour’s Alan Campbell "a real run for his money tonight".
Sir Alan has held the seat since 1997.
Catherine McKinnell holds her Newcastle North seat for Labour, but again with a reduced majority for the party.
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Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald has been re-elected as the MP for Middlesbrough, with a decreased majority.
The Labour candidate beat Conservative Ruth Betson by 8,390 votes, 5,483 votes less than the majority at the 2017 election.
Antony High, an independent candidate, came third and Liberal Democrat Thomas Crawford came fourth.
Voter turnout was down by 5.5 percentage points since the last general election.
More than 32,000 people, 52.9% of those eligible to vote, went to polling stations across the area on Thursday, in the first December general election since 1923.
Three of the six candidates, Thomas Crawford (Liberal Democrat), Hugh Alberti (Green) and Faye Clements (The Brexit Party) lost their £500 deposits after failing to win 5% of the vote.
This story was created using some automation.
Labour’s North West Durham candidate Laura Pidcock has arrived at the Louisa Centre - there are suggestions that she is at risk tonight.
The exit poll says the seat is too close to call.
Ruth Holliday
BBC Newcastle
Chatted to Labour’s Nick Brown after his decisive Newcastle East win - with a reduced majority.
He says climate change was his big campaign issue - and that he hates December elections.
He had no comment on the Blyth Valley result.
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Julie Elliott has been re-elected as the MP for Sunderland Central, with a significantly decreased majority.
The Labour candidate beat Conservative Tom D'Silva by 2,964 votes, less than half the majority at the 2017 election.
Viral Parikh of the Brexit Party came third and Liberal Democrat Niall Hodson came fourth.
Voter turnout was down by 2.2 percentage points since the last general election.
More than 43,000 people, 59.8% of those eligible to vote, went to polling stations across the area on Thursday, in the first December general election since 1923.
Two of the six candidates, Rachel Featherstone (Green) and Dale McKenzie (independent) lost their £500 deposits after failing to win 5% of the vote.
This story was created using some automation.
Labour’s shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald has held his Middlesbrough seat.
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Richard Moss
Political Editor, BBC Look North
Labour and Conservative sources are telling me that Tony Blair’s former Sedgefield seat is now looking set to fall to the Conservatives.
A Labour source is predicting Tory majority of at least 1,000, possibly more.
Labour's candidate in Sedgefield, Phil Wilson, is not happy...
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We hadn't mentioned North Tyneside yet this evening. Here you go:
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David MacMillan
BBC Tees
Just spoken to Labour’s shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald.
He says a Conservative majority "fills him with dread".
He says austerity will carry on at pace and "all the deprivations that go with it".
He adds Boris Johnson is “the most unfit individual to ever enter Downing Street".
He says the reasons for Labour’s defeat are complex but the Conservative's simple message on Brexit got through, aided by the focus on it in some parts of the media, to the exclusion of other issues.
Shadow chief whip Nick Brown has been re-elected as the MP for Newcastle Upon Tyne East, with a decreased majority.
The Labour candidate beat Conservative Robin Gwynn by 15,463 votes, 3,798 votes less than the majority at the 2017 election.
Wendy Taylor of the Liberal Democrats came third and the Green Party's Nick Hartley came fourth.
Voter turnout was up by 0.8 percentage points since the last general election.
More than 43,000 people, 68% of those eligible to vote, went to polling stations across the area on Thursday, in the first December general election since 1923.
All four candidates keep their deposits, after receiving more than 5% of the votes.
This story was created using some automation.