Optimism all round as Hartlepool decides

Matthew Tempest reports from a rainy Hartlepool, where cautious hope is the order of the day in today's byelection

As dawn broke over a wet, grey and rainy Hartlepool this morning, the lights were on in the Liberal Democrats' makeshift HQ as candidate Jody Dunn was enjoying a bacon sandwich and checking the weather reports.

"It's not THE most exciting day of my life," she said, "because I've had four children. But it is certainly one of the most exciting."

As scores of young and slightly bedraggled campaign activists milled around the former TSB bank around her, she expressed relief that nine weeks of constant campaigning were almost behind her.

She said: "I'll be glad to get the dirty tricks out of the way. I'm not a political naive, but it's been a nasty campaign." Talking of Labour's attacks on her living outside the constituency, she said: "You can choose to go on policies rather than the personal vitriol.

"That said, if Iain Wright [the Labour candidate] wins tonight, I shall shake his hand and wish him well - but we are quietly optimistic."

Lord Rennard, the Lib Dems' campaigns maestro, interrupted to joke: "And this rain just gives disaffected Labour voters one more reason not to vote."

Over at the Kingsley primary school, Mr Wright arrived to vote with his two-year-old daughter Hatty proudly wearing a large red Labour rosette almost the size of her head.

But there were ugly scenes as Mr Wright emerged from the polling station - the school he had attended as a youngster - when around 20 protesters from the Fathers4Justice group surrounded the candidate and heckled him with shouts of "how come you can see your daughter, but because of your government, I can't see mine".

As a chant of "shame! shame!" went around, Mr Wright's daughter was clearly upset and bewildered by the attention.

Mr Wright himself had nothing to say to reporters beyond repeating that he was "quietly confident - but not complacent". Asked if he had written his maiden speech yet, he joked: "Not yet."

Perhaps riled by the Guardian's declaration today for the Lib Dems, his press minder last night told this reporter: "There will be absolutely no cooperation with journalists writing a story at all. All we are concerned about is getting the Labour vote out, and if you turn up at the office you will be sent away with a flea in your ear and we won't even tell you where the candidate is."

That position later changed to allow the photo opportunity as Mr Wright cast his vote.

After two months' solid electioneering, Hartlepool almost feels like a town under siege. Avenues of placards line every road approaching the town, and the 14-strong field ensures that an image of batman, a cabinet minister, or George Galloway is never far away.

At 12.15pm, the Fathers4Justice group, whose candidate Paul Watson is standing, staged one of their customary stunts, with batman and robin figures climbing the town hall roof and attempting to hang a banner, watched by police and bemused local shoppers.

At around midnight tonight either the Lib Dems will end 40 years of Labour hegemony in Hartlepool - or Tony Blair will be able to claim that five days of intensive domestic policy announcements at his Brighton conference have reinvigorated Labour's core support.

At polling stations this morning, a steady flow of mostly elderly voters braved the drizzle to cast their votes.

Being a compact constituency, the candidates will gather tonight at the Mill House leisure centre for a result just two hours after the polls close at 10pm - unless, as is plausible, a close vote entails a recount which will delay the verdict of the voters of Hartlepool by at least an hour.