LABOUR has lost overall control of Hartlepool Borough Council after dropping a seat.

It now has 23 seats, with other parties holding the other 25 council seats.

Despite the swing, Labour leader Jonathan Brash said it had been a "great night" for Labour.

All seven returning Labour candidates claimed victories, but the party failed to reclaim Throston ward after Harry Clouth stepped down. Labour candidate Hayley Yull lost to Conservative Christopher McKenna.

Councillor Brash said: "It has been a great night, and it shows we are doing a fantastic job for the people of Hartlepool and we will continue to try to improve services for them.

"When you are the biggest party it is not easy to gain, and there are a lot of difficult national headlines at the moment. But here in Hartlepool, Labour is doing a great job for the town and the electorate proved that by backing us."

One of Hartlepool's longestserving councillors, Arthur Preece, reclaimed his Liberal Democrat seat in the Fens ward by only two votes.

The Liberal Democrats lost one seat in Foggy Furze ward and the Conservatives gained one in Throston.

Ukip doubled its number of seats on the council to two, after claiming the Foggy Furze ward.

Councillor George Morris, leader of the Conservative group in Hartlepool, who was elected in the Park ward, said: "The votes for Conservatives in the town has increased. We did not always win the seat, but there is a massive increase in people voting Conservative."

Eric Wilson, chairman of Ukip in Hartlepool, who lost out to Coun Morris, said: "It has been a very good night for Ukip. We have gained a seat and it is the second on the council.

"We have increased our share of the vote in three wards and we were involved in a recount in the Fens ward. We are very happy with the result."

Sitting councillors retained their seats in all but Foggy Furze and Throston.

The turnout in Hartlepool was 29.27 per cent, slightly up on last year's ward elections.