Labour hail loss of overall control as "great night"

1:40am Friday 2nd May 2008

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LABOUR have lost overall control of Hartlepool after dropping a seat.

They now have a total of 23 seats - with the other parties making up the other 25.

But, despite this Labour leader Jonathan Brash said it had been a "great night" for Labour.

All seven returning Labour candidates claimed victories but the party failed to reclaim Throston ward after Harry Clouth stepped down.

Councillor Brash said: "It has been a great night and it shows we are doing a fantastic job for the people of Hartlepool and we will continue to try and improve services for them."

Elsewhere, one of Hartlepool's longest serving councillors Arthur Preece reclaimed his Liberal Democrat seat in the Fens ward by just two votes.

The Liberal Democrats lost one seat in Foggy Furze ward and the Conservatives gained one in Throston.

UKIP doubled its number of seats on the council to two after claiming the Foggy Furze ward.

The turn-out in Hartlepool was 29.27 per cent, slightly up on last year's ward elections.