The results are announced in the Hamilton South by-election

Mr Tynan won the seat with 7,172 votes - a majority of just 556 votes or 2.86% over his nearest rival, the Scottish National Party candidate Annabelle Ewing, who polled 6,616 votes.

The result, which saw a 22.56% swing from Labour to the SNP on a turnout of 41%, represented a huge carving up of the Defence Secretary George Robertson's 15,878 majority in the constituency in the general election in 1997.

Bill Tynan listens to the result

It was announced after a dramatic recount request by the nationalists, who viewed the result as a slap in the face for Labour and a vote of confidence for their party.

It was also an upsetting night for Labour's Scottish coalition administration partners the Liberal Democrats, with candidate Marilyne MacLaren polling 634 votes and losing her deposit.

The BBC's John Pienaar: " Labours having to think again about how to motivate people in traditionally stronghold areas"

Her share of the vote was less than that of the candidate for the local football team's supporters' group, Steve Mungall, who polled 1,075 for the Hamilton Accies Home Watson Away party.

However, the Scottish Socialist Party celebrated third place, as candidate Shareen Blackall received 1,847 votes, knocking the Scottish Conservative candidate Charles Ferguson into fourth place on 1,406.

Bill Tynan: "A couple of novelty parties stood and a lot of people took the opportunity to vote for them"

Despite seeing the Labour vote shrink, Mr Tynan expressed "delight" at the win and satisfaction at how his campaign had gone.

He said: "The response on the doorsteps was absolutely fantastic and I will tell you that voters were confident that the Labour Party would win.

'Experimental parties'

"It may have allowed (the electorate) to vote for some of the more experimental parties in this election.

"But we were the ones who campaigned on the real issues, the issues which matter in this community.

"I said I will campaign for jobs and I will. I said I will attack the scourge of drugs in this community and I will. We have campaigned fairly throughout."

Annabelle Ewing: Narrow defeat

However, Annabelle Ewing, whose mother Winnie sensationally won what was the seat of Hamilton for the nationalists in 1967, said the result was a dark omen for Labour.

She said: "Some years ago my mother captured this seat from the Labour Party.

"It was a heady night. The SNP have come a long way since then.

"Tonight we have taken on the fifth safest Labour seat in Scotland and reduced their majority from 16,000.

"There is no safe Labour seat left in Scotland. This is a marginal seat."

Scottish Socialist Party convener and MSP Tommy Sheridan also expressed delight at the performance of party candidate Shareen Blackall, who was third.

He said: ""This is a tremendous result for us tonight.

"But quite frankly it was a result which we predicted. We were a party a lot in the media were not interested in.

"After the Scottish elections we claimed to be the fifth party in Scotland. I hope that after tonight we will be definitely seen as the fifth force in Scottish politics. We came from nowhere to take third."

Votes polled at the Hamilton South by-election: