THE Labour Party has appointed a new leader following the shock defeat of Brian Stephens in last week's Sedgefield Borough Council elections.

Long serving council leader Mr Stephens was the main casualty on a night which saw significant gains for the Liberal Democrats and Independent candidates.

Although still firmly in control of the council, Labour saw its majority cut from 35 to 20 and lost almost half of the seats which were contested on the night.

Mr Stephens and Labour colleague Frank Timmiss lost their Thickley seats to Independents David Hancock and John Smith.

After the election, Mr Stephens, leader of the council since 1984, said: "The postal vote success has proved that democracy is alive and kicking."

Coun Bob Fleming, of Newton Aycliffe, was appointed new leader and his appointment is expected to be rubber-stamped at the annual general meeting on Friday, May 16.

His deputy will be Fishburn's Kester Noble, but the make-up of the new cabinet has not yet been decided.

There will also be some jockeying for a new mayor, as current deputy Linda Byrne was one of last week's casualties.

There are now 15 opposition members: seven Independents, seven Liberal Democrats and a Conservative. Coun Ben Ord, whose Liberal Democrats now have a majority in the Spennymoor ward, said he wanted to see the opposition represented on any new cabinet.

He said: "The bottom line is there should be two places in the cabinet for the opposition, one Lib Dem and one Independent."

The British National Party was beaten in each of the seven wards they contested in Darlington.

Labour retained its overall control of the borough council, winning 35 seats to the Tories' 16 and the Liberal Democrats' two.

Fifty-two per cent of people voted, more than in the May 1999 elections, when 33 per cent voted.