Local election results: Tories keep control of Staffordshire

Candidates await the result at the Staffordshire County Council count

The Conservative Party has retained control of Staffordshire County Council.

The Tories reached the required 32 seats to take overall control well before counting finished.. All 62 seats were contested.

Council leader Philip Atkins said he expected to make this level of gains from Labour across the country.

Labour group leader Sue Woodward, held her Burntwood North seat by just 50 votes from the Conservatives.

Election 2017: Full results from across England

The only UKIP seat on Staffordshire County Council has gone, with the Conservatives taking it

In 2013, the Conservatives maintained control with 34 seats, Labour had 24 seats, UKIP had two, as do the Independents, while the Liberal Democrats lost all four of their seats.

The Conservatives now hold 51 seats, Labour have 10, UKIP have lost their only seat and the Independents have had their two seats cut to one.

"I think it's a vote of confidence by the electorate in what we've been doing for the past eight years and a vote in confidence in our future together in Staffordshire," Mr Atkins said.

The Conservatives have boosted their number of seats by 17

Ms Woodward: "I'm very disappointed to lose some fantastic colleagues up and down the county; we'll be a much depleted group.

"I'm delighted that my own electors have kept their faith in me and I've been re-elected."