Chris BishopMaverick Labour candidate Manish Sood will not be attending tonight's election count for what he described as 'security reasons'.Chris Bishop

Maverick Labour candidate Manish Sood will not be attending tonight's election count for what he described as 'security reasons'.

The North West Norfolk candidate, who lives in Leicester, hit the headlines when he described Gordon Brown as 'the worst prime minister Britain has ever had' in a newspaper interview.

Party members responded by calling Mr Sood 'a dreadful candidate'. This afternoon, Mr Sood said: 'I've been advised for security reasons not to attend tonight, because the members have treated me so badly over the last three years.'

Mr Sood declared the North West Norfolk seat unwinnable shortly after nominations closed.