We're wrapping up our live coverage of the Worcestershire County Council election - thanks for following along.

It was written by Tim Page, Jennifer Meierhans and Gavin Kermack, with additional reporting from James Pearson, Tom Edwards and Alistair Binney.

There'll be more analysis this evening and in the coming days on BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester and BBC Midlands Today.

And you can find coverage of results from around the country here.

James Pearson
Political reporter, Hereford & Worcester

After 20 years, Worcestershire's Conservatives have lost control of its county council, with Tory leader Simon Geraghty one of dozens to lose their seats.

Reform UK have delivered a seismic shock to the county's political scene, far exceeding their own expectations.

With 27 seats they are now the largest party on the council, although agonisingly, for them, two seats short of an outright majority.

Together with gains made by the Greens, Reform's success is a sign many voters in Worcestershire want change and are now looking outside Labour and the Conservatives.

All eyes are on whether Reform can now form an administration, most likely a minority. During the campaign Reform kept its key priorities relatively simple: an audit of the county council's finances to cut waste and ensure value for money, and a pledge to put any "spare" money into roads.

While some of its councillors are former Tories, many are making their first entry into local politics. While this freshness may have been part of the party's appeal, it may mean it takes them time to get to grips with running a local authority.

James Pearson
Political reporter, Hereford & Worcester

Simon Geraghty, who has been ousted as Conservative leader of the council, tells me it's a "difficult day" for him personally and the party across Worcestershire and the country. He lost his seat, Riverside in Worcester, to the Greens.

Taking a philosophical attitude, he thinks now is the time to "reflect and rebuild".

"There will be another set of elections in just a few years' time," he says.

Citing infrastructure successes in the form of Worcestershire Parkway, the southern link road, and Kepax Bridge, Geraghty says the Tories leave the council in "good shape" for the new administration.

"I've been incredibly proud to lead the county council over the last 9 years," he adds.

At the Guildhall in Worcester, the city's Labour MP Tom Collins is trying to look on the bright side.

The party lost one seat - meaning they now have just two on the county council - but Collins suggests the result is a reflection of people being fed up with the Tories.

"The electorate have made it very clear that they want the Conservatives out of the county," he tells me. He thinks people are frustrated with the pace of change since Labour came into government last July.

"I think there is an aspect of protest here to say: 'We want to see change, we want to see it fast - go faster.'"

He adds the pressure is now on Reform. "We've had some very simple answers proposed to very complex problems," he says.

"And now it's for them to demonstrate what they can actually do when they're given the opportunity."

Alistair Binney
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

The Wychavon district started the day as a Conservative stronghold on the county council and although it’s still the main party in the area, it certainly took some hits today. Reform came close in almost all of the seats, taking both in Evesham, as well as Harrington. The Liberal Democrats had strong showings, notably losing by just 13 votes in the Bredon seat of former council leader, Adrian Hardman. , externalSo they will be disappointed there were no gains, just holding onto their Pershore seat.

The most dramatic moment came in the Littletons ward, where the Green and Reform candidates had a dead heat on 889 votes.

This meant a ballot was drawn with both their names being placed into a box. Hannah Robson’s name was pulled out giving the Green Party a county councillor in Wychavon. So in this district, the Conservatives slipped from 11 to 7 seats. Reform gained 3, the Greens gained 1 seat and the Liberal Democrats held onto their 1 seat.

Reform's progress in Worcestershire has been mirrored across the country, with the party winning nearly 500 seats.

The Conservatives have lost more than 450.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch says she's determined to win back the public's trust and the seats her party has lost.

"These were always going to be a very difficult set of elections coming off the high of 2021, and our historic defeat last year - and so it’s proving," she writes on X.

"The renewal of our party has only just begun and I’m determined to win back the trust of the public and the seats we’ve lost, in the years to come."

Image source, PA Media

James Pearson
Political reporter, Hereford & Worcester

All the results are in for the Worcester city area, where the Conservatives have been wiped out.

The Greens have the enjoyed the most success, winning four seats. But Reform look the most jubilant here, having exceeded their expectations and won three.

They won't win overall control, but they'll be by far the largest party

James Pearson
Political reporter, Hereford & Worcester

No party has overall control of Worcestershire County Council, after the Tories lost control of the local authority for the first time in 20 years.

It’s a huge victory for Reform, who are now the largest party on the county council, with 27 seats, but who are two short of a majority.

The Conservatives have been left with just 12 seats. Tory Leader Simon Geraghty lost his seat to Greens.

• Reform 27
• Conservative 12
• Green 8
• Lib Dem 6
• Labour 2
• Independents 2

We now know no party will have overall control in Worcestershire.

With two seats still to declare, Reform UK, on 25, can't reach the 29 needed to take an overall majority of the 57 seats.

Alistair Binney
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

There was a dramatic moment in Wychavon - where there was a dead heat for the Littletons seat. Hannah Robson of the Greens and Reform's Liz Williams each got 889 votes, meaning their names had to be drawn at random to see who won.

Robson's name came out, meaning she takes the seat from the Tories.

She acknowledges it's not the ideal way to decide a vote, but says "that's what we have to work with".

"[It was] really terrifying," she tells me. "I thank the universe for letting my ballot paper come out the box."

She adds there was a lovely moment afterwards when she was hugged by Conservative and Labour campaigners, adding, “It pays to be a nice person."

James Pearson
Political reporter, Hereford & Worcester

The Greens have won three seats in Worcester, bringing their total in the city to four.

Tor Pingree, who took Riverside from Conservative council leader Simon Geraghty, says the party is "snowballing" - thanks to people being "disheartened" by the two main parties.

"They want actual change in Worcester, and they haven't seen that," she tells me, adding that is also the likely reason for the gains made by Reform.

Gavin Kermack
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

Labour have retained their Worcester seat of Rainbow Hill & Fort Royal - their first win of the day.

Former mayor Jabba Riaz takes over from Lynn Denham, who is standing down.

James Pearson
Political reporter, Hereford & Worcester

One notable trend in this election has been the departure of a number of experienced, long-serving Conservative councillors. One of these is Tenbury councillor David Chambers, who in a lengthy letter to his local Conservative association this week also resigned his membership of the party.

“I cannot in good conscience continue to represent a party which I now find almost unrecognisable from what it once was,” he wrote.

He went on to argue the party’s decline started when David Cameron became its leader, criticising the former prime minister for his “liberal socialism” and his decision to hold the EU Referendum. The party’s current leader, Kemi Badenoch, is described as “mediocre”.

The resignation letter finished by pondering whether one Boris Johnson could be persuaded to return: “then maybe, just maybe, our party – my party – could be reborn.”

“I wonder if Nigel Farage would be available for the post of quartermaster.”

Gavin Kermack
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

Another Conservative defector has kept hold of his seat.

Alan Amos, who ditched the Tories for Reform earlier this year, remains the councillor for Bedwardine in Worcester after winning the lion's share of the vote.

He walked away with 1,182 votes - compared to 678 for Labour's Matt Lamb.

Nigel Farage will be cracking open the champagne - Reform are winning seats up and down the country, and speculation is mounting they could take control of Worcestershire County Council.

They've already won in neighbouring Staffordshire County Council today.

Tom Edwards
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

The results are coming in thick and fast now.

All the votes for Wyre Forest are in. Previously entirely in Conservative hands, the Tories have managed to hold onto just two of the 10 county seats in the district, with the remaining eight going to Reform.

Worcestershire County Council’s deputy leader Marcus Hart retained his seat by just 76 votes for the Conservatives, but elsewhere West Mercia’s Tory Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion failed to get elected, losing to Reform.

Former Conservative councillor Bill Hopkins, who defected to Reform in October 2023, has held onto his seat of St Chads - and says he's "absolutely delighted".

He's predicting the party will take overall control of the county council.

"The Conservatives didn't live up to expectations," he says on why he left the party. "People are so fed up. They want change, and we are the only party that can deliver change."

James Pearson
Political reporter, Hereford & Worcester

Worcestershire County Council leader Simon Geraghty has lost his seat to the Greens. Tor Pingree won with 1,280 votes

James Pearson
Political reporter, Hereford & Worcester

Reform have taken an early lead in Worcestershire.

So far they have won 13 seats on the county council, their first ever electoral success in the county. That compares to just 4 for the Conservatives.

It’s looking highly likely the Tories will lose control of the authority.

Here at Worcester’s Guildhall there’s an expectation council leader Simon Geraghty will lose his seat to the Greens.

It's been a good morning nationally for Reform - winning the Runcorn and Helsby parliamentary by-election by just six votes. The party also won the Greater Lincolnshire mayoral race.

Leader Nigel Farage calls the results a "very, very big moment" for his party - going so far as to claim Reform has “supplanted the Tories as the main opposition”.

But Nigel Huddleston MP, co-chairman of the Conservative Party and MP for Droitwich and Evesham, thinks that's overstating things.

He points out that the Tories still have 121 MPs to Reform’s five, and will "most likely" still have more than 4,000 seats in local government after this election.

"That is not a credible comment from Mr Farage," he says.

He does concede, however, that the Tories aren't in the best position.

"Unfortunately, it does look like we have lost Conservative councillors.”

Tom Edwards
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

Deputy leader of the county council and leader of Wyre Forest District Council Marcus Hart has been re-elected to the Chaddesley Ward - and says he can breathe a sigh of relief.

But he acknowledges the difficulties the Tories face in these elections.

"[Voters] are sending a message to the Labour government," he tells me. "But we, as a national party, haven't emerged from the general election defeat of last year."

The Labour and, he concedes, Conservative votes have "collapsed".

"Reform are clearly the protest party.

"They're taking votes from the Labour, and votes from the Conservatives, and they're coming straight through the middle."

Alistair Binney
Reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester

Conservative Linda Robinson has held onto her Upton Snodsbury seat. The Reform candidate, Sean Stock, was second, with 828 votes to the Tories' 1,318.