Labour MP John Cryer is celebrating after he increased his majority in Leyton and Wanstead by more than 8,000 votes.

Mr Cryer was re-elected to the seat he has held since 2010 by 32,234 seats, a huge increase in support from 2015 when he received 23,858 votes.

The popular MP said he couldn’t “quite take it all in” after learning the news that he had increased his majority from 14,919 in 2015 to 22,607.

He told the Recorder that he would be celebrating “by going straight home to sleep” and stressed how he hoped residents knew he didn’t take the seat for granted.

He said: “I’m immensely proud to have been re-elected and thankful for everyone who voted for me.

“But I’m also thankful for residents who voted for another candidates as it means they took part in a democratic process.

“I want to stress after the recent horrific events that we will always win against people like that.”

Conservative candidate Laura Farris trailed Mr Cryer with 9,627 votes, followed by 2,961 for Ben Sims, of the Liberal Democrats and 1,351 for Ashley Gunstock, Green Party.