1.04AM: NE Cambs Labour candidate Peter Roberts arrives at count looking dejected

LABOUR candidate Peter Roberts arrived at tonight s NE Cambs count shortly after 12.45am looking tired and dejected but determined to put on a brave face. His first question to his handful of s

Story by: JOHN ELWORTHY at the HUDSON LEISURE CENTRE, WISBECH

LABOUR candidate Peter Roberts arrived at tonight's NE Cambs count shortly after 12.45am looking tired and dejected but determined to put on a brave face.

His first question to his handful of supporters at the count was to inquire how well he was doing but appeared resigned to the fact his campaign, despite his best efforts, might have put him into third place.

"We'll just have to wait and see," he said as he began meeting his hardcore team of workers who had fought a long and hard campaign to keep the Labour flag flying in the Fens.

With no Labour councillor on either the district or county councils, Mr Roberts has been struggling to co-ordinate the support network available to him and to deliver Labour's message to voters on their doorstep.

He's also had to combine the election campaign with an intensive period of study and work at Cambridge University.

"I have gone 40 hours without sleep and we delivered 136,000 leaflets in the campaign," he said. "That is a record of us locally.

"We haven't been helped by situations in neighbouring constituencies, for example SE Cambs and in a neighbouring Norfolk constituency."

He added: "We have had a three-year campaign and done the best we can. It's been fairly well funded and I don't think we could pull it any closer.