Labour has blamed "local issues" for its shock defeat

Labour has blamed "local issues" for its shock defeat in last night's Dunfermline and West Fife by-election.

The Liberal Democrats overturned a Labour majority of 11,500 to pull off a stunning victory.

It was a personal humiliation for Gordon Brown, who lives in the constituency and took charge of his party's campaign.

The Lib Dems captured the seat with a massive swing of 16 per cent.

Their candidate Willie Rennie got more than 12,000 votes.Labour came a dissappointing second with 10-and-a-half thousand.

The SNP was third with just over 7,000 and in David Cameron's first by-election, the Conservatives failed to improve on fourth place.