The Liberal Democrats' forecast election tally of 61 seats "would be amazing", the party's electoral agent in Hereford and South Herefordshire has said.

Overseeing the sample counting of individual ballot boxes as they arrive and are checked in Hereford's Halo Leisure sports hall, Sam Potts said he thought the constituency's result was unlikely to be announced until around 6am.

But he felt the exit poll forecast nationally published following the closure of polls at 10pm tonight points towards "a massive endorsement" of party leader Ed Davey, whose election campaign has been marked by a series of eye-catching stunts.

"It would be a big deal to be back to being the third largest party in Parliament," he added, given the predicted fall in the SNP's tally.