NICKY Gavron is staring defeat in the face in the Barnet and Camden London Assembly seat. With 36 per cent of the vote counted Conservative candidate Brian Coleman appears to have taken a commanding lead over his Labour rival Ms Gavron

NICKY Gavron is staring defeat in the face in the Barnet and Camden London Assembly seat.

With 36 per cent of the vote counted Conservative candidate Brian Coleman appears to have taken a commanding lead over his Labour rival Ms Gavron.

She said: "Brian has a 12,000 majority so it has always been a very steep challenge. Of all the marginals this was the most difficult to win."

She also responded to reports that bookmaker Paddy Power has decided to pay out on bets backing Tory mayoral candidate Boris Johnson.

She said: "Bookmakers paying out on Boris now before we've even factored in second preferences sounds rather strange. We've heard Boris is ahead in 14 areas, but no-one says which seats they are and by how many votes.

"I'm not going to make a stab at this, it was always going to be a knife-edge race."

After counting 50 per cent of votes in the Enfield and Haringey vote, it appears Mr Johnson is ahead slightly, but has established a considerable lead over current mayor Ken Livingstone in Barnet and Camden.