ON a night of high drama at Farnham Sports Centre, Virginia Bottomley held on to her South West Surrey seat in the general election, but only just.

With a majority of just 861 over Simon Cordon - 1,833 votes less than the figure that separated the Tories from the Liberal Democrats in 1997 - Mrs Bottomley barely retained her constituency with 22,462 votes.

Looking visibly worried when a recount was called at around 3 am, it seemed for a moment that Mrs Bottomley would suffer the same fate as her fellow Conservative, Nick St Aubyn, who was ousted from his Guildford seat by Liberal Democrat Sue Doughty after a shock majority of 538 was declared.

But despite the nationwide Tory routing and a meagre 68.3 per cent turnout locally - nearly 10 per cent below the 1997 figure - the former cabinet minister just managed to scrape through.

Speaking shortly after the declaration, Mrs Bottomley said that she was "delighted" with keeping her seat and emphasised that, as a continuing MP for SW Surrey, her efforts for the area would be as great as they had always been.

"After 17 years, this constituency is part of my life. I deeply care about it, I live at the heart of it."

She said: "In South West Surrey I will continue my relentless campaign to make sure we receive our fair funding for the health service... to battle tirelessly for action on the A3...and to make sure that the wonderful villages and market towns are protected from the onslaught of planning and depressive development."

A nearly-triumphant Simon Cordon expressed his disappointment by saying that his party had missed the SW Surrey seat "by the distance of a cigarette paper", but added with fierce determination his view that the "Conservatives are about to break themselves apart".

He said: "I am obviously very disappointed not to have wrested this seat from the Conservatives.

"But the party here is so resilient. In over 20 years we've turned what was true-blue into the tightest of marginals.

"Be in no doubt, the Liberal Democrats have marched almost to the top of that hill."

(Full election coverage in next Friday's Farnham Herald)