THERE will be no overall control on Tendring Council - with the Conservatives beating Ukip by just ONE seat.

The Tories have lost their majority control of the council after a strong showing from Ukip in the local elections.

The final result saw the Conservatives gain just 23 seats - a loss of eight - while Ukip increased its number from just three to 22.

Independent councillors picked up six seats, Labour held four, Holland Residents' Association retained three, the Lib Dems just one and Tendring First were reduced to one.

It is not yet clear what the make up of the council's administration will be, but Conservative Neil Stock said his party has a responsibility to try to form an administration having gained the most seats.

Tory council leader Mick Page lost his Homelands seat to Ukip's Laurie Gray by 50 votes. Mr Stock was elected as the Tory's new group leader at a group meeting on Saturday.

Mr Stock said: "It's clearly quite an interesting result - we've never seen anything like it on Tendring before.

"We are still the largest group and I think we have a responsibility to try to form an administration without sacrificing our principles - and I'm confident we can do that.

"How we get that thorough is going to be interesting and there's going to be a lot of dialogues between the groups over the coming days and weeks leading up to the annual council meeting on May 26.

"It's too early to say really, I think. We will elect a new leader. We will decide if there are people we definitely don’t want to work with or that we definitely want to try to work with - we will play it by ear."

Ukip’s Joan Wrigley said the party would also be looking to work with other groups to form an administration - and will appoint its own leader next week.

“The fact we have got one seat less makes a little difference, but not necessarily a great deal of difference," she said.

“It’s a question of working together in the coming weeks to make sure things are set up as pleasantly as possibly to make sure the people of the Tendring district are well represented so views are heard and considered in the actual council.

“Because sometimes they haven’t been.”

Tendring First councillor Pierre Oxley lost his seat after 16 years on the council and Alan Goggin, cabinet member for finance, also lost his seat.

General Election Conservative candidate Giles Watling retained his Frinton district council seat, while Ramsey and Parkeston Tory candidate Tanya Ferguson beat Ukip's Anthony Colbourne by just ONE vote.

For the full list of results, click here.

Contested parish and town council results, here.