LABOUR gained seats on both Stevenage and North Herts Councils, while the Conservatives and Lib Dems lost seats apiece.

There were 13 seats up for grabs at Stevenage Borough Council, with Labour gaining Longmeadow, Martins Wood and the Old Town from Conservatives.

All the other seats were held by their respective parties. The party make-up of the council is now 30 Labour councillors, six Conservatives and three Liberal Democrats.

In North Herts, there were 15 seats up. Out of those seats, there were three gains by Labour, three losses and two gains for Conservatives, and two losses and no gains for the Lib Dems.

Those results mean that Labour are now the main opposition on the council, leapfrogging the Lib Dems.

There are now 33 Conservative councillors, 10 Labour councillors and six Lib Dem councillors.

Both the chairman and the vice chairman of Letchworth area committee - Conservatives Michael Paterson and Paul Marment - lost their seats.

Mr Paterson put the defeat down to dissatisfaction with the government and a low turnout, which in his ward was the second lowest in North Herts.

“That’s the price you pay for central government,” he said. When you’re in power you can end up losing local elections. I thought it would be very close.”

Mr Paterson’s seat was won by Labour’s Ian Mantle, who will give up his role as volunteer clerk for Letchworth Garden City Council to represent Letchworth East.

He said: “Obviously I’m pleased that I’ve won but I’m very sorry that I was up against Michael Paterson who I think was far and away the best Conservative councillor. It’s a great shame.”

Fellow Labour candidate Deborah Segalini was also celebrating after becoming a councillor for the first time.

She said: “I’m delighted. It’s actually quite humbling that I’ve had more than 1,000 people vote for me.”

The closest result of the contest was in Hitchin Walsworth which required a recount to determine that Conservative Ray Shakespeare had beaten Labour’s Derek Sheard by three votes.

• To view the results from your ward, click on the relevant link in the right-hand corner.

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