Tories take control of Kent Council as UKIP loses all seats

The Tories picked up seats from Labour and Ukip

UKIP has lost all of its local council seats in Kent, with the Conservatives picking up most of its former wards to retain control of the county.

In the 2013 Kent County Council election the Tories held 45 seats, UKIP 17 and Labour 13, of 72 divisions.

This year, the Conservative gained 22 seats, totalling 67, while UKIP's representation disappeared entirely.

The number of county councillors reduced from 84 to 81 following a boundary review in 2016.

Election 2017: Full results from across England

Sheppey, Folkestone East and West, Herne Bay and Tunbridge Wells East were among those which saw the vote swing from UKIP to Conservative.

Most of Kent has voted Conservative

Labour also suffered losses, with only five councillors over four wards this time around, with the Conservatives making gains at their expense in Dartford North East, Dover Town and Deal.

Labour did gain a seat in Margate West, previously held by UKIP, and it kept hold of Ashford South.

Live: More on this story and other news from Kent

Ramsgate, which had two UKIP councillors, now has one Labour and one Tory.

The Lib Dems had seven seats in 2013 and has lost one of them, but continue to represent Faversham, Malling Central and parts of Maidstone.

Counting in Dartford, where Conservatives took full control

The Green Party kept its single seat, Hythe, as did The Swanscombe & Greenhithe Residents' Association in the Swanscombe and Greenhithe ward.

In 2013 Swale Central was under UKIP control, but the boundary change saw this ward removed, and now Swale East and West are both Tory led.

Margate used to be split Margate and Cliftonville with a UKIP and a Labour councillor, and Margate West held by UKIP.

Now it is split as Cliftonville, which has been taken by the Conservatives, and Margate, which Labour now has control over.