The Liberal Democrats dealt a blow to the Tories, retaining the key marginal of Torbay with a hugely increased majority.

In Cheadle and Guildford the Lib Dems took crucial target seats from the Conservatives.

In what party leader Charles Kennedy described as a "doubley historic night" Romsey's Sandra Gidley kept her May 2000 by-election seat with a majority of 2,370.

"This has obviously been a very different election for me, particularly given the demands of party leadership," Kennedy told his constituents.

On the low turn-out, Kennedy said: "I think that this has been a very damning verdict on the future of British politics."

In Torbay, Adrian Sanders, defending a majority of just 12 over the Conservatives, won with a 6,708 lead over the Tory Christian Sweeting.

With turnout down nine per cent to 64.4 points, Sanders took the seat with 24,015 votes to the Tories on 17,307.

Asking people to "come on down to Torbay, come and have a holiday", Sanders described himself as "staggered, stunned and amazed" at his victory.

Sanders slipped into the House of Commons in 1997 with a majority of just 12. The increased poll is being seen as a strong endorsement for Charles Kennedy.

The constituency has shown volatility since 1997, with the Lib Dems being pushed into fourth place in the 1999 European elections. Europe was seen as a key issue - with the Conservatives polling 41.6 per cent in the euro-elections.

Bucking all predictions, the turnaround in Lib Dem fortunes will be seen a strong endorsement of Charles Kennedy's campaign and a crushing defeat for the Conservatives who attempted to turn the election into a referendum on the euro.

For the Conservatives, Lord Strathclyde summed up the feelings of stunned Central Office workers.

"Torbay didn't happen. It shows the success of tactical voting. For Labour it's clear - the people who voted for the Liberal Democrats didn't want them in. We have a whole range of lessons to learn from this election," he said.

In Cheadle, Lib Dem candidate Patsy Calton overturned Conservative whip Stephen Day with a majority of just 33 votes after a recount. The seat was one of only two Conservative seats in the Manchester and Liverpool urban areas.

In Guildford, Sue Doughty overturned Nick St Aubyn with a majority of 538 votes.

Counted as another gain is Sandra Gidley's Romsey win, converting May 2000's by-election victory into a general election triumph. In 1997 the seat was held with a safe Tory majority of 8,585.