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5.00pm: The Dome's deserted now, save for a happy band of men in a corner of the Icebreaker Bar that will be forever England.

And this is the end of the line for today's live updates as well. There's still so much to discuss about one of the most astonishing days in Doncaster's political history, but our time's run out.

Many, many thanks to everyone who got in touch through the comments and by email. It's been a pleasure to keep you updated on events here.

Next week's edition of the Doncaster Free Press will have much, much more on this result and what it means for the town as the dust starts to settle. We'll have a full interview with Peter Davies, the new Mayor of Doncaster, and will be looking in-depth at what Doncaster can expect over the next four years. If you've enjoyed reading my ramblings today, chances are you'll want to buy a copy next Thursday and keep me in a job.

Any further emails on this subject should be sent to editorial@doncastertoday.co.uk - don't forget to include your name and address if you want your views published in the paper.

I never did get one of those vegetable pakoras, by the way.

4.37pm: It will be the English Democrats and Labour making the headlines for polar opposite reasons - but spare a thought for Mick Maye, now a three-time loser in mayoral contests.

He came so close to realising his dream today, but now must come to terms with the fact that his chance has gone forever.

"I bet Mick Maye is gutted," writes Nick Hampton via email. "Trouble is, he seemed to be conducting his campaign, even months ago, as though the post of Mayor was his by right. It looks like he fell victim to the 'Hilary Clinton effect', as she thought she'd become the Democratic Party's choice for US President by right. Ooops!

"Close result though - I hope Peter Davies will offer Mick the Deputy Mayorship as a consolation prize."

I wouldn't bank on it, Nick - in an emotional concession speech Mick Maye said this was "one of the worst days in Doncaster for a long time," and Davies's supporters booed and heckled him mercilessly.

I don't think he would accept a job in Mr Davies' cabinet. Although I didn't think Peter Davies had a chance of becoming mayor, so nothing's impossible - maybe after sleeping on it his view will change.

With hindsight, perhaps Maye did seem a little over-confident at times - parading through the town centre on an open-top bus was a bit OTT and put me in mind of Neil Kinnock's infamous Sheffield rally in 1992.

But he's an affable, well-liked and experienced councillor so it would be a shame not to see him play some part in what's sure to be an eventful four years.

4.24pm: "It's a sad day for Doncaster with its large diverse communities that somebody with Mr. Davies's views can get elected to run the town," writes Chris Brewster via email, adding: "It will be interesting to see how he forms a cabinet."

You raise a good point, Chris, and it's a question that's been dominating discussions here since the result was announced. Sitting councillors of all parties looked shellshocked when the result was announced, and many of them told me they wouldn't work with Davies.

Independent councillor Mark Thomas told me: "We have got a ship that is on very very choppy seas at the moment and they have put an unqualified man at the helm.

"I'm reminded of the old adage, 'Those who can, do - those who can't, teach.'"

There's talk of all the established parties burying their differences to unite against what they see as an extremist in the town's top office.

But perhaps tellingly, Martin Williams - leader of the council's Community Group - said of Mr Davies' election: "I am happy about this."

His group contains only four councillors, but as Mr Davies told us: "I only need two."

4.06pm: "Actually, if people unintentionally spoil their ballot papers, when
they only have to put in two crosses, they probably don't deserve the vote anyhow," opines Kev via email (referring to my post from 2.20pm).

3.58pm: Alex is back from the bar. Sweeping changes are in order. Davies wants to make good on his promise to cut the number of councillors by two thirds (though this might not actually be within his power, according to Constitution buffs I've spoken to this afternoon.)

The self-styled "new broom" also plans to stop spending money on "anything related to political correctness" - particularly what he sees as "PC", bureaucratic jobs.

"It's no surprise to me at all that I've won," he told the Free Press.

"I knew it would be down to Mick Maye and I.

"This is great news for Doncaster. It's a new start for the town." he told us.

"Children's Services have to be my top priority."

3.36pm: Like a true Englishman, Peter Davies is celebrating his victory with a pint of foaming nut-brown ale in the Dome's Icebreaker Bar. Sadly I'm chained to my laptop in the now-deserted press area, but my colleague Alex Vessey is down there to interview him.

We'll be reprinting some choice quotes here, but the full interview will be in Thursday's Free Press which, I suspect, will be devoting rather a lot of space to this election result.

3.28pm: There's a sense of unreality here at the moment. Nobody seems to quite believe what just happened here, least of all anyone connected with Doncaster Council.

We've got plenty enough reaction to keep us going for the rest of the afternoon, so keep your comments and questions coming.

Questions like this one, from Toby via email: "Have you all gone bonkers? The English Democrats??" You may very well think that, Toby, I couldn't possibly comment.

3.17pm: Pandemonium at the Dome - thanks for bearing with us. First up, the official final result after the second choice votes have been added:

Peter Davies 25,344
Mick Maye 24,990

IT'S DAVIES! More to follow

2.35pm: "Please tell me my old A Level politics teacher isn't going to be mayor," pleads my latest correspondent, Mark. It's looking more than likely, Mark, unless Mick Maye's been moonlighting. There's still nothing official but it looks like Davies has the edge on second preference votes.

2.25pm: "Are you sure it's not a liquid lunch you've been enjoying given those preliminary results?!" asks Jamie Lovell via email. Afraid not, Jamie, though I'll need a stiff drink later after a day like this.

"Though on a serious note," he continues, "it's more than faintly depressing that over 8,000 of my fellow townsfolk gave their vote to the BNP."

2.20pm: As there seems to be so little separating these two, let's take a minute to talk about spoilt ballots. "What constitutes a spoilt vote?" asks Karl in Hatfield via email. Basically it's any ballot paper that hasn't been filled out properly, and in this election there have been almost 2000 of them on the first preference votes. Of those, 1,338 voted for more than one candidate in the "first choice" column and 642 didn't mark a cross in any of the boxes.

Given that third-placed Sandra Holland was only 412 votes behind Peter Davies, that means that unintentionally spoiled papers could have made a huge difference to this election.

2.07pm: A few of our email correspondents are asking when we can expect a result. At a guess, we should have one by 3pm. But that depends whether we get any more recounts. This election is so much closer than 2005 that the runner-up will want to make absolutely sure that all their votes have been counted properly.

2.00pm: The second preference votes have been counted...

... and now they're being recounted! This must be very, very close. Stick with us.

1.55pm: Apologies for going a while without an update, but I've just been downstairs where Caroline Flint and Rosie Winterton have been talking to the press. By any standards this is a disaster for Labour, but they're putting a brave face on it.

Sandra Holland ran a strong campaign, they said, but people are angry about the economy and about MPs' expenses and all the main parties had suffered as a result.

Caroline Flint pointed out that the Tories had put more money into this campaign than ever before and had still come fourth, a result she says they "must be gutted" about.

1.30pm: Amazing scenes here - nobody, and I mean nobody, saw that coming. Though I will humbly point out that I mentioned Davies was doing well in our 11.11am update. Nathan Batchelor emailed earlier to ask if I had my swingometer at the ready. You'd need a seismometer to measure this one, Nathan, but in the meantime we do have a bar chart...

1.20pm: Full first round results:

Peter Davies (English Democrats) 16961
Stuart Exelby (Community Group) 2152
Michael Felse (Independent) 2051
Sandra Holland (Labour) 16549
Mick Maye (Independent) 17150
Dave Owen (BNP) 8175
Jonathan Wood (Conservative) 12198

1.05pm: Mick Maye and Peter Davies through to the second round. More to follow.

12.58pm: "This is a very long moment", comments The Mighty Rover. Too right it is - the candidates are watching this recount like hawks. They're now in their fourth huddle of the day with the returning officer.

12.45pm: Just to clarify, the result we're waiting for is for the first choice votes only. The two with the most first choice votes will then have a run-off in which all the second choice votes of the failed candidates are added up. This could go on for some time. Thanks to Bev for her email - and to the many who enquired about the buffet...

12.41pm: Peter Davies is wearing an enormous grin, while the Labour contingent - which now includes MPs Caroline Flint and Rosie Winterton - are huddled deep in conversation. But we still haven't heard anything official.

12.29pm: Unbelievable as it might sound, the word on the counting floor (though I stress this is very much unofficial) is that Peter Davies of the English Democrats is in the top two along with Mick Maye, with only a handful of votes separating them from Holland and Wood. Still no official word though, but it is only minutes away now.

12.18pm: High drama. Paul Hart just took to the stage and announced that it's "very close" and after speaking to candidates and their agents he's agreed to recount some of the votes.

When I saw him speaking to the candidates, Mick Maye and Jonathan Wood both seemed to be getting quite animated. Could they be duking it out for the all-important second place that would keep them in the contest? And if so, who's in the lead? Watch this space.

11.54am: Any moment now, honest. The candidates are just checking the spoiled ballots (of which there seem to be rather a lot).

11.38am: You could cut the tension here with a knife. Still waiting for a result, though the press box buffet has arrived at the worst possible moment. Rest assured, readers, that the Free Press won't eat until you know the results of the first round of voting. No matter how tasty those pakoras smell.

11.26am: Looks like the first round result is about to be announced.

11.11am: Here's something I wasn't expecting to write: Peter Davies of the English Democrats seems to be doing a lot better than expected. If he were to break into the all-important top two it would be a massive shock.

10.45am: Provisional turnout is 35.81 per cent. That's well down on the last mayoral election in 2005, when it was 54.4 per cent. More bad news for Holland, I suspect - looks like many traditional Labour voters may have just stayed at home.

10.42am: "Good morning David," writes Rob Larkin via email. "May I just say that if the web vote is to be believed then it just shows how much the previous mayor and his party were loathed. Doncastrians have a long record of being RED, perhaps even we could not stomach any more New Labour.But I bet it's the same old Tories!"

Tory support is coming from some unexpected quarters, Rob. Stuart Exelby has just told reporters that he's not in with a chance, and says he's now backing Jonathan Wood. That's the same Stuart Exelby who was a Labour councillor a year ago. Not good news for Sandra Holland. Wood does look to be the frontrunner at the moment.

10.01am: "Hey David," writes Doug via email. "You any idea on turnout yesterday? Can't say I noticed much anywhere on this election – though my postal ballot was in last week ! Hopefully the good people of Doncaster have realised they're not voting for a football team."

Thanks for your email Doug. No word on the turnout yet - but it should be coming soon, according to Paul Hart. I'll post it here as soon as we have it.

9.50am: Almost two hours into proceedings, returning officer Paul Hart has just announced that the count is about to begin. It's those European ballot papers I mentioned earlier - they've been emptying out the mixed ballot boxes, sifting out all the European votes, and then sealing them up inside a new set of ballot boxes to be counted on Sunday. Why not just have separate ballot boxes for each poll, you ask? So did I, and nobody here seems to know.

9.30am: I've just seen Stuart Exelby prowling around the count flanked by his new party leader Martin Williams. Conspicuous by his absence - as he has been throughout Deputy Mayor Exelby's campaign - is his current boss, Martin Winter. Anyone would think the Community Group candidate is trying to play down his role in the current regime's achievements.

9.20am: "Do we have any sort of exit poll ideas?" asks Concerned Donny Lad.

Well, it's hardly scientific but our web vote ended with Jonathan Wood in front on 29%, followed by a dead heat between Mick Maye and Dave Owen on 15% each. Sandra Holland polled 8%.

"Is someone carving the headstone for the Labour Party grave at the moment?", he adds. I wouldn't have thought so, Concerned - the national picture's looking dire, but there's still a lot of folk in Donny hard-wired to vote Labour so I wouldn't write Holland off just yet.

8.40am: The ballot boxes have been opened but there's no actual counting going on yet - first the volunteers in the Dome's sports hall have to sort the mayoral ballot papers from the European ballot papers, as the same ballot boxes have been used for both. The Euro votes aren't being counted until Sunday.

8.00am: Good morning and welcome to the Free Press's live election coverage. I'm David Jones and I'll be updating this page regularly throughout the day. We're expecting a result around 1pm (as a rough estimate), but in the meantime we'll be updating through the morning from the count and looking back at the talking points from the mayoral campaign.

I'm here all day so if you have any questions or comments about the election or any of the candidates, send them to me at david.jones@doncasterfreepress.co.uk and I'll include your views on this page.