PAUL NUTTALL has resigned as Ukip leader after a disastrous night for his party which saw their vote share collapse.

They are now looking for their fifth leader in just nine months, but the defiant outgoing boss claimed their controversial manifesto was a “decade ahead of his time”.

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He gave a press conference this morning after the party failed to gain a single seat in yesterday's snap poll, and he himself only finished third while running in Boston and Skegness.

The Eurosceptic party had been hoping to make gains after running a campaign pledging to "ensure there is no backsliding on Brexit".

But after their share of the vote fell to just two per cent he opted to leave his position with immediate effect, telling reporters: "A new era must begin with a new leader."

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He said he had left the foundations for the new leader to build on and ensured that the party was "still on the pitch".

And he insisted Ukip was "more relevant than ever" and would play the role in the coming months of the "guard dogs of Brexit".

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After Mr Nuttall's resignation, speculation will inevitably ignite over the possibility of Nigel Farage returning to the leadership.

Mr Farage has been leader of the party on several previous occasions, but insisted he was standing down for good after the EU referendum last year.

However, in the wake of today’s election result he suggested he might "have no choice" but to go back to frontline politics.

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He told LBC: "If what I’ve worked all my adult life for was to be betrayed, I would have no choice than to throw myself back into the frontline of British politics.

"Whether it’s leading or whether it’s playing a prominent role is perhaps a separate question. I could not see this historic victory betrayed by our political class and not fight back."

Asked about a future role for the former leader, Mr Nuttall said: "If Nigel Farage wants to come back, I would be more than happy to do a job swap.

"I'll take his slot on LBC and he can come back as leader of Ukip."

As well as a party-wide failure it was a personal one too for the 40-year-old scouser, who was making his sixth attempt to get into Parliament.

Ukip was hoping to make gains in the Lincolnshire seat, which yielded one of the highest votes for Leave in last year's EU referendum.

But Mr Nuttall saw their share of the vote slide 26.1% to 3,308 votes, while Labour increased its vote by 8.5% to 10,699 and the Tories by 19.8% to 27,271.

Asked what next, he replied: "What now for me? Holiday. Or if that bar is open, a pint..."

The party has chosen former chairman Steve Crowther to be their interim leader, before going through yet another leadership contest to find a per,amemy replacememt.

Its chairman Paul Oakden said: “It was with huge sadness that I received the letter this morning from
Paul Nuttall, confirming his decision to resign as Party Leader.

“Once again we're left with decisions to make on who and how we elect our next Leader.”

In a statement he added: “I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to Paul Nuttall for having had the courage and strength of will to forge on over six difficult months for our party.

“Paul is a good, decent and humble man and I've no doubt that he will be remembered as the person who kept Ukip alive when everything seemed determined to bring it to an end.”

Some of the key details from the turbulent night of results:

• Hung parliament confirmed with Tories missing out on majority of 326 with polls predicting 318 seats - down from 330
• Labour forecast to take 262 - up from 232 in 2015.
• Theresa May faces mounting pressure – with the odds slashed on Boris Johnson to be the next PM
• Fears grow Brexit negotiations could be sunk if Mrs May does not secure a majority
• Lib Dem Nick Clegg loses Sheffield Hallam seat but Vince Cable regains Twickenham while leader Tim Farron clings on
• Home Secretary Amber Rudd holds on to Hastings seat by barely 300 votes
• Huge losses for SNP as former chief Alex Salmond and deputy leader Angus Robertson are both beaten by the Tories.
• Labour on march in London beating Tories to Battersea constituency but Tory Zac Goldsmith takes back Richmond with a majority of just 45
• Pound slides two per cent as exit poll predicts hung parliament
• Growing fears Mrs May will have to call a second election later this year
• Sources claim Theresa May is not planning to resign - and instead "has every intention of forming a government with the DUP"
• Jeremy Corbyn claims he won the election after making significant gains across the country