There are 7 separate counts happening across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and Durham. Some have already started, and the Sunderland count will at 11.30. Results will be fed into Sunderland to be tallied and I expect the result between 1 and 2pm.

The question on everyone's lips is whether independent Jamie Driscoll can cause a huge upset. A poll last weekend suggested he was neck and neck with Labour's Kim McGuinness, who has long been the favourite to win. We'll know soon enough!

Counting is underway in Sunderland in the North East mayoral election

Waiting for candidates to arrive here. No sign of either Kim McGuinness or Jamie Driscoll yet. But a Labour bod tells me they are feeling ‘very positive’.

This is where Sunderland Council chief executive Patrick Melia will make the declaration this afternoon. Told we will get the region-wide result first, then breakdown for each of the 7 council areas to follow after.

Jamie Driscoll is in the house - though he’s currently about as far away from me as it’s possible to be, with the media being held back away from the counting tables.

Green candidate Andrew Gray is here. Still thrilled about getting 2 Greens elected in Newcastle last night.

Just spoke to Jamie Driscoll. Not giving much away in terms of what he expects today. He’s annoyed at lack of national attention on the North East mayor race.

Jamie Driscoll speaking to me just now

Reform candidate Paul Donaghy hopes he can get third place here. He may have lost his council seat in Sunderland last night, but says Reform is ‘ready and raring to go’ for a general election.

Here’s my favourite moment of today so far… A Lib Dem source tells me that one of the votes for Aidan King was a drawing of someone urinating on a windfarm. That is some creative effort in the voting booth.

That sounds like someone didn’t like his policy of building the UK’s largest windfarm across Northumberland and Durham. But maybe they should have drawn it in another box?

Mood check in the North East mayor election: Labour sources (and others) here seem pretty confident that Kim McGuinness will win.

Labour candidate Kim McGuinness arrives here in Silksworth

Tory candidate Guy Renner-Thompson not here yet, but has texted me to say he’s en route from Blyth. Lib Dem Aidan King was working a night shift at the RVI last night and also not here yet.

My LDR colleague @BillEdgarnews reports these totals from Durham: Paul Donaghy (REF) - 9,679 Jamie Driscoll (IND) - 25,074 Andrew Gray (G) - 2,396 Aidan King (LD) - 3,907 Kim McGuinness (LAB) - 43,084 Guy Renner-Thompson (CON) - 11,627

Was told we wouldn’t get individual area totals in advance, but Durham seem to have jumped the gun! Strong result for Labour in Durham.

Feels pretty nailed on here that Kim McGuinness is going to be elected as the first mayor of the North East.

Spoke to Lib Dem candidate Aidan King. Says he has enjoyed the campaign, but that the Kim/Jamie battle has 'sucked up all the oxygen'. Says he believes his big idea of having the country's biggest windfarm here should remain on the region's political agenda.

Some early reaction from Tory Guy Renner-Thompson, who has made it!

No sign of imminent result announcement here yet. Heard we might be waiting on Northumberland’s numbers coming in.

Been sent this result from Northumberland. Another Labour win, though much closer than Durham was.

I gather Kim McGuinness has also had a big win in Sunderland, where there was also a large Reform vote.

Crowd lining up for the declaration. Any minute now we will have the announcement of who has won the North East mayoral election.

Numbers from SUNDERLAND: Paul Donaghy (REF) – 11,563 Jamie Driscoll (IND) – 11,009 Andrew Gray (G) – 1,801 Aidan King (LD) – 4,727 Kim McGuinness (LAB) – 27,469 Guy Renner-Thompson (CON) – 7,037 Huge for Reform, beating Jamie into second on Wearside.

Source in North Tyneside tells me Labour had a majority over Jamie Driscoll of around 6,000 there.

Just awaiting the final confirmation now, but everyone here knows Kim McGuinness has won the race to be North East mayor. Spoke to Jamie Driscoll, who says he has come a strong second and is already talking about running again for this job in 4 years' time.

Had this in from NEWCASTLE: Paul Donaghy (REF) – 3,653 Jamie Driscoll (IND) – 25,018 Andrew Gray (G) – 3,671 Aidan King (LD) –6,778 Kim McGuinness (LAB) – 26,429 Guy Renner-Thompson (CON) – 5,012 Closest result between Kim and Jamie that we've seen.

The final overall result for the region is only moments away now.

RESULT North East Mayoral Election Paul Donaghy (REF) – 41,147 Jamie Driscoll (IND) – 126,652 Andrew Gray (G) – 17,631 Aidan King (LD) – 25,485 Kim McGuinness (LAB) – 185,051 Guy Renner-Thompson (CON) – 52,446 Kim McGuinness is the first mayor of the North East