Analysis: Attention turns to local elections after Tory success

The result at the count in Lancing seemed sealed early on, as mounds of ballot papers piled up in Conservative trays.

But the fight for the runner-up spots and below proved much closer.

There were positives for most parties, with Labour taking second in East Worthing and Shoreham ahead of UKIP but the purple party sneaking into second over in Worthing West.

UKIP had made East Worthing and Shoreham one of its top nationwide seats but despite failing to challenge the Tories, it managed to increase its share of the vote by around 10 per cent.

Veteran campaigner James Doyle had hoped to come a surprise third for the Green Party, five years after coming second as a Lib Dem candidate.

Finishing fifth, he noted the number of Green votes more than doubling since 2010.

Similarly in Worthing West, the Greens trebled the number of votes received.

The Green candidates said a large crop of young voters had turned out to vote for the first time, placing their faith in the emerging party.

The party will have high hopes for adding to their tally of Worthing Borough councillors when the local election count begins later on. Heene and Central are its top targets.

The biggest losers were the Lib Dems, whose candidates were braced for a rough evening.

Both Hazel Thorpe and Bob Smytherman remain proud of the work of the coalition Government but both dropped down to fourth.

Keep following the Herald website for local election results as they are announced.