DEFEATED Labour candidate Andrew Dismore accused his Conservative opponent of “mud-slinging” during a vitriolic speech after results were announced.

Mr Dismore lost the key marginal seat by just 106 votes following a recount, with the result announced just after 9am after a mammoth count.

In the address he accused newly elected Matthew Offord of “name calling” and accused him of being disrespectful towards his long-term partner.

He said: “This has not been a clean fight, in my view it's been a pretty dirty campaign. It's my eighth public election and I have never seen such a barrage of personal slurs and lies in this campaign.

“I'm humbled by the fact so many of my fellow residents voted for me. The election result was a close one, only by a whisker in a seat the Conservatives thought they would take by a huge margin.

“People voted for me because they appreciated the work I've done for them and their communities.”

He warned the other candidates the precarious hung Parliament could see another election called in the next few months.