The Conservatives have retained their place as the largest single party on Thurrock Council despite Labour gaining three seats across the borough.

The council remains in a state of no overall control, having been run as a minority Conservative administration up to the election, with Mayor Tunde Ojetola among those to lose their seats.

Out of the five former UKIP councillors, who switched to become Thurrock Independents in January, only one - MEP Tim Aker - retained their seat.

Mr Aker won Aveley and Uplands with 1,037 votes.

Graham Snell, who had led the Thurrock Independents throughout the election period, lost his seat in one of the biggest upsets of night, coming last out of four candidates with only 177 votes.

Conservative Elizabeth Rigby took his seat with 804 votes.

Labour overtook the Thurrock Independents as the second largest party in the council, taking advantage not only of the former UKIP party to gain four seats, but also claiming victory against Conservative Mayor Tunde Ojetola in the South Chafford ward,

Labour candidate Abbie Akinbohun took the victory here.

She said: “I couldn’t have asked for anything more.I’m so happy, I cannot believe it.

“The campaign has been really tough because I’ve been in competition with the mayor which has been a big challenge for me, but I kept trying anyway and worked the hardest I could, and we ended up with the victory.”

While UKIP officially lost all five of its seats last night these had effectively gone with the Independents split. The Conservatives now have 20 seats, with Labour on 17 and Independents on 12.

Conservative Councillor Rob Gledhill was pleased to have retained his Little Thurrock Rectory seat and to still be part of the largest party.

He said: “It’s obviously a good result for the Conservatives, we essentially gained one seat - we gained two but unfortunately lost Councillor Ojetola in South Chafford. While it is obviously a shame, having that one extra seat in the council will make all the difference to us.

“We have made some very clear promises, promises that we are already delivering on.

“We will be continuing with the ‘clean it, cut it, fill it’, making sure not only do we have a balanced budget but we do so without raising tax to the maximum, and make sure this council goes from strength to strength.”

Only a third of seats were contested.

The lowest voter turnout of any ward across Thurrock was Labour seat Tilbury St. Chads, with less than one in four visiting the polls.

The highest voter turnout was found in Conservative held The Homesteads ward with more than 38 per cent of residents voting.

Discussions have taken place about whether the Conservatives, as the largest single party, will continue in minority control.