Labour lose Nuneaton to no overall control
UKIP MEP Bill Etheridge loses Sedgley seat
UKIP party leadership blamed for seat losses
Etheridge to 'bow out' as MEP at end of term
Asha Mattu, widow of former mayor Elias, takes his Wolverhampton seat
Labour fail to take Walsall
Fifteen councils in West Midlands holding elections
All seats in Birmingham up for election for first time in 14 years
James Fanning
Reporter, BBC WM
Asha Mattu, widow of former Mayor of Wolverhampton, Elias Mattu, is running for his seat.
Mrs Mattu supported her husband for 18 years whilst he was Labour councillor for the Graiseley Ward.
He died in February following an illness.
Asha Mattu and her daughter Jessica
Simon Gilbert
Political Reporter, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire
In Nuneaton and Bedworth it would have taken a huge nine seat swing to the Conservatives for it to change hands, as Labour defended 13 seats.
As it stands, Labour were left short of a majority by one seat.
Half the seats on the council were up for election.
Conservatives won 10 out of the 17 seats in Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, seven of which they took from Labour.
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Patrick Burns
Political editor, Midlands
The big question is what happens to the UKIP vote here? This was a significant strong hold last time it was contested.
UKIP were riding high but tonight they are defending seven of those seats. The party tell me UKIP are braced for significant losses.
UKIP drew a lot of their support from Labour voters but they won't necessarily go back to where they came from.
James Pearson
Political reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester
While Wyre Forest District Council has had an interesting electoral history (council and MP were both Health Concern in the noughties) these days Wyre Forest is solidly Tory.
Though the Conservatives are defending 8 of the 11 seats this time round, the political makeup is unlikely to change.
The major issue the Tories will be hammered over will be the threat to the green belt, particularly to the east and south of Kidderminster.
The council estimates 2,500 homes need to be built on it in the coming decades, though controversially the draft preferred option for where these houses could go will only come out after May’s elections.
The gradual decline of Kidderminster town centre also comes up: high numbers of empty shop units, controversial plans to close a council hub in the town hall are just some spark points.
Rob Mayor
Political reporter, BBC WM
Sandwell is a virtual one party state where all but five of 72 seats are Labour. Four of five independents were also elected as Labour councillors in 2014.
Anything but a Labour clean sweep would be a surprise though the party has spent the year defending its conduct after a series of code of conduct breaches by councillors.
Electing in thirds, you will perhaps hear the cheers from the opposition parties if they make any gains whatsoever.
The latest breaking news, reaction and analysis from the West Midlands as the results of the 2018 council elections are announced.
Read MoreJames Pearson
Political reporter, BBC Hereford & Worcester
Worcester City Council is almost certain to see a change in control, even if no wards change colour.
After years of flipping between red and blue, last May the parties (Con 17, Lab 16, Green 2) agreed to share power in a new committee system.
But Tory councillors have been resentful that Greens too often side with Labour on key issues such as council tax and on who to elect as council leader.
Of the 13 seats up for grabs, most are pretty safe bets for the incumbent party. Exceptions are the city centre ward of Cathedral, which the Conservatives are hoping to take off Labour, the leafy suburb of Battenhall where the Conservative mayor is hoping to hold on against the Greens. Polling for the national Labour party has also suggested they may also have a chance on the outskirts of the city in Warndon Parish North, where residents are increasingly commuters.
Key issues
In terms of key issues, health will be key. The local hospital, the Worcestershire Royal, has been in special measures for more than two years and its A&E has some of the worst waiting times in the country.
It may not be a city council function but traffic and congestion is also being taken on by parties. Both Labour and the Greens are proposing measures such as banning HGVs from parts of the city centre and promising action on air pollution. Both parties are pushing for more housing in the city centre, above shops. The Conservatives will hope a principled stance against an increase in council tax this year will go down well.
Stephanie Barnard
BBC News
It's getting busy across the Midlands as more ballot boxes come in.
Here's what some of the councils are tweeting;
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Rob Mayor
Political reporter, BBC WM
In Wolverhampton, Labour's domination on a council which elects in thirds means the party could emerge with overall control even if it suffered total meltdown at the ballot box.
The Conservatives will be cheered by even the smallest gains whilst UKIP’s only councillor is retiring, leaving their prospects looking bleak.
Patrick Burns
Political editor, Midlands
Perhaps the man with most at stake in the local elections and who's not even standing is Andy Street.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe West Midlands metro mayor has five Labour council leaders on his combined authority board, and just two fellow Conservatives.
Quote MessageHe'll [Andy Street] be hoping that he'll be working with more Conservative leaders presumably in local councils however he'll be looking at the electoral implications for himself and his colleagues for the future as well.
Dr Matt Cole, University of Birmingham
So, the biggest test of opinion since the 2015 General Election. And again, maybe, we should expect the unexpected.
Stephanie Barnard
BBC News
Ballot papers in Walsall and Rugby are being wheeled in...
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Patrick Burns
Political editor, Midlands
Latest polls suggest Labour will have retained those councils they currently hold, but may struggle to gain much new ground.
This in itself would pose serious questions for Jeremy Corbyn’s party at a time in the electoral cycle when those parties that are in opposition at Westminster need to demonstrate significant support in local government as a platform for the build-up towards the next general election.
The Conservatives will hope to limit the damage in some places and gain ground in others in order to offset expected losses elsewhere in the country, especially in London.
The Green Party have again been mounting a concerted challenge. They were the official opposition in Solihull’s outgoing council and have fielded more candidates than UKIP across our region as a whole.
Laura Francis
Broadcast Journalist, BBC WM
I'm in Walsall tonight at the University of Wolverhampton.
I met Steve Chapman, the Bloxwich team leader, who has worked on local elections for more than 30 years.
Steve monitors between five and seven polling stations which he says are checked three times a day.
Power cuts, floods and problems with ramps - Steve has seen it all.
Quote MessageWe've had all sorts from power cuts and we've had to do polling by torch light. We had floods last year and I had to get a drain key to lift up man hole covers and mobility scooters falling off ramps. You get all kinds of people to come and vote - it makes the day interesting. Everybody who works on the election - we think it's important that people have the right to vote. It's a democratic process. We do all we can to make sure it's done fairly.
Steve Chapman, Team leader Walsall
...all in at Nuneaton and Bedworth.
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Patrick Burns
Political editor, Midlands
It's not just about Birmingham.
Several of our other councils are on an electoral knife-edge. In Dudley, Labour need just two more seats for an overall majority that would overturn the minority Conservative administration.
And in Walsall, Labour need just three more seats for a majority. Here, as elsewhere around the Black Country, much will depend on which of the two biggest parties benefits more if people who supported UKIP the last time these seats were contested four years ago were now to switch their votes elsewhere.
Worcester is another key contest. The Conservative minority administration needs just one more seat for a majority. But Labour need just two more for a majority of their own, albeit they require a bigger swing.
Stephanie Barnard
BBC News
...and the first box has arrived at Walsall for the Paddock Ward.
And in Nuneaton and Bedworth votes for the Poplar ward have arrived.
In Wolverhampton - no sign yet.... but volunteers are poised.
Patrick Burns
Political editor, Midlands
They're not counting in Birmingham until Friday but it is the first time in 14 years all seats at the council have been up for election.
These have been among the most unpredictable elections for many years. It may prove difficult to identify coherent trends because I expect both the Conservatives and Labour to make progress in some places and to sustain losses in others.
The one certainty is that Birmingham’s new council will look very different, whatever has been happening in the polling stations.
The number of councillors is reduced from 120 to 101 but the number of wards increases, and they’ll have new boundaries too.
In the outgoing council, Labour held almost twice as many seats all the other parties put together, so the Conservatives will hope to make at least some progress in Britain’s biggest local authority.
Stephanie Barnard
BBC News
Good evening from the BBC Birmingham newsroom. The polls have just closed and we are here to bring you all the latest news and results.
Fifteen councils have held elections today.
Counts taking place tonight are at:
Some councils aren't counting ballot papers overnight, therefore results for Newcastle-under-Lyme, Birmingham, Solihull, Wyre Forest and Redditch will come in Friday.
BBC journalists and reporters will be keeping us up to date with results and what's going on at the counts throughout the next 24 hours.
If you'd like to get in touch with us - here's how to do it: