Conservative county councillors have swept the board in the local elections with the Tories taking 60 of the 84 seats across Norfolk, with Labour holding only three compared to its previous 22.

Conservative county councillors have swept the board in the local elections with the Tories taking 60 of the 84 seats across Norfolk, with Labour holding only three compared to its previous 22.

The Liberal Democrats have 13 seats, one down on the 2005 results, meaning that they replace Labour as the main opposition party The Green Party becomes the third biggest party on the council. It is the dominant party in Norwich, and has seven seats compared to its previous two.

UKIP won its first seat, in Great Yarmouth.

The total number of votes cast was 251,351, with a percentage turnout of 38.6 per cent.

PARTY GAINS AND LOSSES

t Conservatives gained 13 seats overall

t Labour gained none and lost 19 seats

t Liberal Democrats stayed the same overall

t Greens gained five seats, all in Norwich

t UKIP gained one

SHARE OF THE VOTE

t Conservative 45.91%

t Liberal Democrat 22.68%

t Labour 13.78%

t Green 10.87%

t UKIP 4.55%

t Independent 1.35%

t BNP 0.83%

t No Party 0.04%

Members of the old council who lost their seats included Sue Whitaker (Lakenham) leader of the Labour Group and chair of Cabinet scrutiny; Peter Harwood (Mile Cross) a former leader of the Labour Group; John Holmes, (Yarmouth Nelson and Southtown) a former Labour education lead; Pat Hacon, (Caister on Sea) a former chairman of the county council; Thelma Paines (Thetford West) a former chairman of the county council and Fran Pitt-Pladdy, (East Depwade), Liberal Democrat spokesman on the Corporate Affairs Review Panel.

Party group meetings are being held in the next few days in the wake of the elections. The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are both meeting on Saturday (June 6) at 10am, Labour are due to meet on Sunday morning and the Greens on Monday.