Local Democracy Reporting Service

Turnout for the Middlesbrough mayoral vote is a shade under a third.

Labour lose Hartlepool Council to no overall control.

Independent swap for Newcastle seat, as Labour holds two more.

Independent Andy Preston was beaten to the post of mayor of Middlesbrough by a Labour candidate in 2015.

He is now hoping to beat the new Labour candidate Mick Thompson and the contest is expected to be close.

Local Democracy Reporting Service
James Cain

There is a a lot of talk about it being a close contest for Middlesbrough mayor between Labour's Mick Thompson and independent Andy Preston.

On North Tyneside Council 20 seats are up for grabs.

Labour is defending 18 - with two others in the running.

Conservatives and UKIP are contesting all 20 seats with eight Greens, three Lib Dems and one Independent in the running.

Labour front bencher Barry Gardiner has played down the importance of the drop in Labour vote.

Results are still coming in, and although the party will not lose control in Sunderland, indications are that its share has gone down by 14%.

Mr Gardiner, MP for Brent North, said: "I think what's clear is, from the graph we were just shown, that 10% of that has gone to UKIP and in the present circumstances, given the disquiet over Brexit, I don't think that's a remarkable thing."

First results are coming in for Newcastle, where Labour has been in control since 2011.

Luke Walton
BBC Look North

It is worth pointing out a lot of local issues have not gone well for Labour.

There has been a row about the relocation of the council's headquarters and the children's services have been criticised by Ofsted

Campaigners have been picking up a real anti-politics feel on the doorstep.

There is no chance of Labour losing control but so far they have lost three seats already.

Professor Sir John Curtice
Polling expert

"The first key results in Sunderland, all of which were contested by UKIP, between them show a 6.5% increase in the UKIP vote - even though the party is defending the relatively high baseline that it enjoyed in 2015.

"If this pattern continues then we will get ample confirmation of the rise in support for Eurosceptic parties as indicated in the opinion polls.

"However, so far it is Labour not the Conservatives whose vote has fallen sharply, so far by no less than 17 points.

"Here at least may be an indication that in a very strong Leave Labour-voting area that Euroscepticism could well serve to erode Labour's support."

UKIP and Conservative each pick up a seat on Sunderland City Council.

With counting under way for council seats across the North East, here's what we are expecting tonight:

Sunderland, Hartlepool and North and South Tyneside councils are the first expected to declare, from about 01:00.

The result for the directly elected mayor of Middlesbrough is due about 03:00.

This is expected to be following by Newcastle City Council.

Ballot boxes have been arriving across the North East since the polls closed at 22:00.

Students from Sunderland sixth forms have been running the ballot boxes in for the city council count where our reporter Luke Walton is.

And here is the counting starting in South Tyneside where BBC Newcastle reporter Russ Ward is reporting from.

Here's what's happening in North Shields and below that in Middlesbrough.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the North East council and mayoral election results.

We'll be with you through the night bringing you the results as they happen.

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Our live updates here have finished for the day but this feed will continue to be updated overnight with any breaking news and sport stories as well as travel updates.

You can also stay up to date on BBC Newcastle, BBC Tees and on Look North.

We'll be back tomorrow from 08:00 with more live updates.

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