Labour’s Catherine West has stormed to victory in Hornsey and Wood Green - retaking the seat she won for the first time in 2015 with a hugely increased majority.

A beaming Ms West thanked voters as the result was announced to loud cheers at Alexandra Palace this morning.

The Labour candidate polled 40,738 votes up from 29,417 in 2015 – leaving her with a huge 30,738 majority.

She said: “Thank you to all of Haringey for all the democratic wonderfulness of these last seven weeks. I’m just so honoured and proud. Thank you.”

Ms West, 50, fought a solid campaign, with celebrity backers including comedian Eddie Izzard joining her on the campaign trail in Crouch End.

She was a strong advocate for remaining in the European Union and in January voted against triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty - the process by which EU Member States withdraw from the European Union (EU) - in defiance of the Labour whip.

She promised to continue to represent the voice of constituents with the start of Brexit negotiations imminent in 10 days.

“Hornsey and Wood Green has always been right that nobody ever wanted the kind of Brexit that Mrs May and Ukip wanted,” she said.

“We don’t want that Brexit, we want to fight for our own values and for a proper vision of a partnership with our neighbours, not shouting across the channel with a megaphone.”

She also highlighted the commitment throughout Hornsey and Wood Green to the “wonderful National Health Service and to our schools” that she witnessed on the campaign trail.

“We know that had the Tories got a clear majority we could have lost 500 teachers, and it was the parents who ran the most wonderful campaign to keep our schools and our children and young people educated and give them the best opportunities,” she said.

“And it was the young people who came out and voted for their future, so I thank the young people.”

In a nod to her role as Shadow Foreign Office Minister, Ms West vowed to continue campaigning on issues like climate change and human rights.

“Let’s never forget that we can have those principles and stick to those beliefs and win support,” she said.

The re-elected MP described the Labour Party’s performance nationally as “surprisingly good” admitting it was not predicted.

She praised the passion with which Jeremy Corbyn fought the campaign saying he has her full backing to continue as Labour leader.

In the surprise result of the night, the Liberal Democrats only just beat the Conservatives into second place in Hornsey and Wood Green.

Lib Dem candidate Dawn Barnes polled 10,000 votes, down from 18,359 at the last election when long-serving MP Lynne Featherstone lost her seat.

Conservative candidate Emma Lane saw a significant increase in votes for her party at 9,246 compared to 5,347 in 2015.

The Green Party’s vote fell from 3,146 in 2015 to 1,181 this year.

Turn-out also saw a surge as 78 per cent of the electorate in Hornsey and Wood Green put their votes in the ballot box – up from 73 per cent in 2015.

The constituency was a key battleground for Labour during the last general election, when Ms West seized the seat from the Liberal Democrats with an 11,058 majority.

Ms Featherstone fell victim to a national swing against the Lib Dems, losing the seat she had held for 10 years.

The Lib Dem took Hornsey and Wood Green from Labour MP Barbara Roche in 2005, overturning a majority of more than 10,000.

But the seat swung back to Labour in 2015 and has remained red today.

RESULTS 2017:

Labour: Catherine West – 40,738 (65.4 per cent)

Liberal Democrat: Dawn Barnes – 10,000 (16 per cent)

Conservative: Emma Lane – 9,246 (14.8 per cent)

Green: Sam Hall – 1,181 (1.9 per cent)

Women’s Equality Party: Nimco Ali - 551 (0.9 per cent)

Ukip: Ruth Price – 429 (0.7per cent)

Christian People’s Alliance: Helen Spiby Vann – 93 (0.2 per cent)

Workers’ Revolutionary Party: Anna Athow - 55 (0.1 per cent)

TURNOUT: 78 per cent