Francis Benali has been attempting to complete seven Ironman triathlons in seven days.

Image source, Andover Alliance

A new independent party, the Andover Alliance, has won seven seats on Test Valley Borough Council.

Party leader Richard Rowles, standing in Andover Winton, was among those elected.

The party's manifesto "rejected national politics" and demanded "desperately needed" improvements in Andover.

The Conservatives have retained control of the council with a majority of five, after losing 11 seats to the Andover Alliance and the Liberal Democrats.

Results from West Oxfordshire District Council are trickling in, and after a disappointing night in the Vale and the South the Conservatives have held on to three seats.

Tory councillors will return to their seats in Alvescot and Filkins, Carterton North East, and Bampton.

The Lib Dems have also held their seat in Charlbury.

The 40-year-old man died when his motorbike was involved in a crash with a van and lorry on the A31.

Tristan Pascoe
BBC Radio Solent political reporter

Previous local elections in Dorset have been something of a one party affair - with the Conservatives dominating all nine council areas.

But this time the political map has been redrawn - the nine councils have all been consigned to history and two new "supercouncils" have taken their place.

All residents are facing increases in their council tax bills - but some more than others. In the west, Dorset Council is harmonising everyone's council tax - whereas it'll take seven years until residents here in Bournemouth and Poole pay the same as in Christchurch.

As well as saving money by sharing services and back-office functions, it means fewer councillors, but there's still simmering resentment from some councillors opposed to the whole merger process.

In fact a number of Christchurch Tories were suspended by the party after declaring that they'd stand as independent candidates against former Conservative colleagues.

And with those deep divisions - rather like Brexit - no one can predict exactly how it’ll play out.

The video-sharing site has deleted videos of citizen's arrests made by Stephen Dure.

Bethan Nimmo
Political reporter, BBC Radio Oxford

The Liberal Democrats have won control of Vale of White Horse District Council from the Conservatives.

The party overturned a 20 seat Tory majority to turn the Oxfordshire council orange for the first time since 2007.

The Lib Dems now have an overall majority in a huge swing away from the Conservatives.

Bethan Nimmo
Political reporter, BBC Radio Oxford

We are still waiting for the final results for South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils, but we already know one party that will be happy with tonight: The Greens.

They have gained one seat on each council - and Robin Bennett has won Berinsfield in South Oxfordshire, a former Tory stronghold held by council leader John Cotton until he stood down recently.

Southampton Test MP Alan Whitehead said he was pleased after Labour retained control of the city council and gained two seats overall from opposition parties in the city.

“In some of those areas which had been going away from us, we shored that up and kept the vote solid and that’s what led to the overall good result. That was a strategy that was persued and it was a strategy that worked," he said.

Oxford West and Abingdon Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran has hailed what she called a "really good night" for the party which has won five councils across the country - Winchester, North Norfolk, Hinckley and Bosworth, Cotswold and Bath and North East Somerset.

"I think what we’ve seen tonight is a clear indication that the Conservatives at a national and to a degree at a local level, are being punished at the ballot box.

"Turnout wasn’t as bad as we thought it might be even though there was quite a lot of apathy on the doorsteps.

"But overall I’m really proud of my team – this is a really good night for the Liberal Democrats."

Tristan Pascoe
BBC Radio Solent political reporter

These are the first elections to the two new unitary councils in Dorset.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) covers the more urban areas of Dorset and is formed from the two unitary councils of Bournemouth and Poole and the district council of Christchurch and its area of Dorset County Council.

Dorset Council is formed from Weymouth and Portland, West Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, East Dorset and those parts of Dorset County Council.

It reduces the total number of council seats in the county from 333 to 158.

Predecessor councils were all Conservative, so it would be surprising if the new councils’ control veered from this.

Counting for both councils is taking place later during the day on Friday.

Leader of Winchester City Council's Conservative group, Caroline Horrill, called on national politicians to "come together and agree a deal" over Brexit after the party lost control of the authority.

The party lost six seats to the Lib Dems.

"People love what we've had to say about what we do - we've given them glass recycling and affordable homes.

"It was the national picture that was frustrating residents. We're a 60-40 remain area and they're frustrated with all politicians who have failed to bring about a conclusion to the Brexit deal," she said.

Despite the Lib Dems gaining 11 seats, the New Forest remains in Conservative control.