Election 2015: Greens forecast to have two MPs

Green Party leader Natalie Bennett has said it would be a "huge advance" if the party wins two MPs, as the exit poll suggests.

But she urged caution about the poll's findings, which she said were "highly uncertain" and "very surprising".

The party secured its first MP in 2010, winning Brighton Pavilion.

Its membership has surged in recent months, which the party hopes will translate into more seats in the House of Commons.

The 2015 exit poll, conducted by NOP/MORI for BBC, ITV and Sky, was taken at polling stations across the UK.

The first election results have started to come in, with the final result due on Friday afternoon.

'Green surge beginning'

The poll has suggested that the Greens will win two seats - up one on its 2010 performance.

Speaking to BBC News, Ms Bennett - who is standing for Parliament - said: "We'll have to wait and see but a doubling of the number of Green MPs would be a huge advance for the Green Party."

She predicted there would be a "massive increase" in the party's vote share.

But she was keen to urge caution: "It would be a really good time... for the media to stay calm and wait for the results rather than these really highly uncertain and very surprising exit poll suggestions."

The Green Party has seen its membership surge over the course of the election campaign, as leader Ms Bennett switched focus from its traditional environmental policies to talk about inequality and social justice.

Caroline Lucas became the party's first MP in 2010, winning Brighton Pavilion with a majority of 1,252 - a swing of 8.4%.

She is hoping to retain the seat, the results for which are expected at about 05.00 BST on Friday morning.

Put to Ms Bennett that there had been no Green "surge", Ms Bennett pointed to increases in the party's membership adding: "The Green surge is just beginning and we'll be looking, from tomorrow onwards, to build on that with what looks likely to be a doubling of our parliamentary representation."

And she restated her pledge that the party would do "everything we possibly can" to ensure there was not a Conservative government.

Asked whether she would step down if the party did not perform well, Ms Bennett replied: "I'll be serving out my full two years' term."

According to the exit poll, neither Labour nor the Tories are set to win an outright majority - but the Conservatives are expected to win the most seats.

The exit poll has put the Conservatives on 316 seats, Labour on 239, the Liberal Democrats on 10, the SNP on 58 and UKIP on two.

The number needed to form a majority in the House of Commons is 323.