Cambridgeshire County Council election: Tories lose control

The Conservatives have lost control of Cambridgeshire County Council for the first time since 1997 after losing 10 seats - including the seat of council leader Nick Clarke.

The Liberal Democrats lost nine seats while UKIP won 11 and Labour took five.

Independents gained four seats and the Green Party lost one.

The new council includes 32 Tories, 14 Lib Dems and 12 UKIP members. There are also seven Labour members and four independents.

Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council Mr Clarke lost his Fulbourn seat to John Williams of the Liberal Democrats, who polled 1,180 votes to Mr Clarke's 848.

Mr Clarke said: "In public life you try and do your very best, but there are ups and downs."

'Voice of people'

Peter Reeve, leader of the UKIP group, said: "We are overjoyed but not surprised. People on the streets are saying they want UKIP in power.

"We are the voice of the people. We are pleased people have had faith in us."

Kilian Bourke, leader of the Lib Dem group, said: "If you have a council where no party is in overall control it is a more critical challenge, and there is more scope for working together and I think that's good.

"We're in this to represent the people of Cambridgeshire and we will do what's in their interests.

"I personally would find it extremely difficult to work with UKIP.

"The Conservative policies have become more and more extreme. That too would be difficult but if we needed to work with them we would.

"If Labour were open to working with us we would look at that too."