Chris Grayling has been re-elected as Epsom and Ewell’s Conservative MP.

Mr Grayling said it was an “enormous pleasure” to be chosen to represent the constituency for another five years.

His winning result was declared to cheers from a small, tired crowd - including his wife and son - at Epsom Downs Racecourse, just after 6.30am today.

Mr Grayling was elected with 33,309 votes in the safe Tory seat - compared to the 30,868 he received in 2010.  He increased his majority by 2,441 votes. 

He said: "It  is a huge honour to be elected to be member of parliament for this area. It has been a matter of great pride to do so for 14 years.

"It is an enormous pleasure and I will continue to do everything I can to serve the interests of the area.

"I am very grateful to everyone who has supported me."

He told the Epsom Guardian that he "wasn’t expecting the considerable increase in the votes cast for me" and the first thing on his list to achieve for Epsom and Ewell "is what it always is".

"To continue to work to preserve services; continue the work to get Epsom into Zone 6, the Oyster Card is coming in the autumn but we still have work to do; and to work to try and preserve the character of the area," he added.

Mr Grayling, who served as Justice Secretary in the last government, said he is "happy to do whatever David Cameron asks me to do" if a role in the Cabinet is offered to him again.

But he said taking control of the country's justice system - a role for which he has received widespread criticism from the legal profession - would be his "main choice".

“I would be very happy to be Justice Secretary. Lot of work still to do," he added.

“My main choice would be to stay there. I’ve enjoyed it.”

Earlier in the evening, Mr Grayling said he was "genuinely sorry" that Liberal Democrat Justice Minister Simon Hughes lost his Bermondsey and Old Southwark seat to Labour after 32 years, adding the pair had "worked well together". 

Speaking about the mood surrounding the general election, he said: "I have been all over the country with this campaign and I come away with the overriding sense that we are making a difference. 

"If you are a more prosperous place you can afford to provide better public services, education, health, the support for the needy and the things you need to be able to do.

"We want to continue to make Britain a better place, that’s what we’re all in politics for."

Labour's Sheila Carlson came second in the polls, with 8,866 votes, and Robert Leach ensured UKIP became the constituency's third largest party with 7,117 votes. 

Ms Carlson thanked her campaign team and all those who voted for her in the constituency after the result was announced. 

In an emotional speech, she paid tribute to Emily Davison, the suffragette who died after running in front of the King's Horse during the 1913 Derby - at Epsom Downs Racecourse, the venue of the count.

"She was a very brave lady who made sure I could stand here today. So thank you Emily Davison," Ms Carlson said.

The Labour candidate said she was keen to get some sleep and felt she had achieved a "good result".

"We were hoping we would come second place and we think we deserved to come second place," she added.

UKIP candidate Robert Leach said: "We did better thaan average here which is all we could have expected from tonight.

"It was worthwhile as an effort.  

"I congratulate Chris Grayling on winning and thank all the other candidates for taking part in what has been a clean campaign."

In a statement today, Independent hopeful Lionel Blackman, who won 612 votes, said the result in Epsom and Ewell "is indicative of the serious risks the public might be carried by a repeal of the Human Rights Act".

He said: "Our work is really cut out to protect it. 

"I hope I might have inspired others to stand up when needed in the future. 

"If human rights protection here and abroad goes belly up I guess I will have a clearer conscience than some that I took a small stand in the heartland of the flag bearer of this peculiar project to 'scrap the Human Rights Act'."   

The results show a marked difference as to which Tory-opposing parties people voted for in Epsom and Ewell compared to the last General Election.

In 2010, the Liberal Democrats came second in the constituency, with Labour third, UKIP fourth and a candidate from the Radical Reform Group coming last.   

ELECTION BREAKDOWN:

Chris Grayling, Conservative: 33,309

Sheila Carlson, Labour: 8,866

Robert Leach, UKIP: 7,117

Stephen Gee, Liberal Democrat: 5,002

Susan McGrath, Green: 2,116

Lionel Blackman, Independent: 612

Gareth Harfoot, Independent: 121

The turnout was 73 per cent - up 3 per cent compared to 2010.