The Tories comfortably took Goring from the Lib Dems, with Mary Lermitte taking on the role of councillor for the first time.

In Offington, newcomer Elizabeth Sparkes also coasted to victory taking 1,100 votes more than her closest rival, Mike Glennon from UKIP.

But the battle in Broadwater was much closer-fought, with Conservative Don Allen only narrowly beating Lib Dem Nick John by a margin of 25 votes.

Don said: "I have never walked up so many pathways in my life. During the campaign we visited 75 per cent of the roads making up Broadwater.

"There are lots of issues there but one of the main things is to address the amount of new flats going up and the parking problems that causes."

The Lib Dems' biggest success was in Selden, where James Doyle was returned to the council after losing his seat at last year's election.

He took the seat from retiring Tory Jack Saheid, who decided not to seek re-election this year.

James said: "I'm really, really delighted. I've had a fantastic time campaigning with lots of people working really hard for me."

He said now he was back on the council, he would be focusing on getting a new swimming pool built in the town and promoting the seafront cycle route.

Also in the ward, British National Party candidate David Little took 233 votes, which was exactly 100 more than last-place Ann Saunders for Labour.

Worthing Borough Council leader, Keith Mercer, said: "The result is a major democratic endorsement of the Conservative vision for Worthing."

Liberal Democrat party leader, Bob Smytherman, said: "I can assure you that both myself and my colleagues will regroup and return as the only opposition in this town.

"I can promise you that we will run Worthing Borough Council again."


The results in full


Key: C = Conservative, L = Labour, LD = Liberal Democrats, UKIP = UK Independence Party, BNP = British National Party (* denotes sitting councillor, bold type denotes elected candidate).


Broadwater
Don Allen (C): 977
Nick John (LD): 952
John Turley (L): 132

Castle
David Potter (LD): 1,167
Ruth White (C): 926

Central
Peter Barnes (L): 148
Neil Condon (LD): 698
Martin Coppard* (C): 791
Christopher Woodward (UKIP): 126

Durrington
Chris Chatfield (UKIP): 215
Michael Donin* (LD): 708
Mark Withers (C): 631

Gaisford
Ann Barlow* (C): 1,026
Janet Goldsbrough-Jones (LD): 951
Hazel Rennie (L): 137

Goring
Richard Bater (UKIP): 368
Merlin Jones (LD): 523
Mary Lermitte (C): 1,921

Heene
Paul High* (C): 1,018
Alan Jones (LD): 632

Marine
Joan Bradley* (C): 1,351
Gary Riding (LD): 508
Phil Ruddock (UKIP): 278

Northbrook
Jim Baxter (BNP): 93
Michael Cranefield (LD): 354
Mary Harding* (C): 372
Dawn Smith (Stop Durrington's Overdevelopment – Save Titnore's Trees): 99

Offington
John Gardiner (L): 142
Mike Glennon (UKIP): 402
Patricia Izod (LD): 289
Elizabeth Sparkes (C): 1,533

Salvington
Ron Brooks (UKIP): 428
Jacqueline Cranefield (LD): 540
Jacqui Marsh* (C): 1,311

Selden
James Doyle (LD): 1,227
Stephanie Hedley-Barnes (C): 673
David Little (BNP): 233
Ann Saunders (L): 133

Tarring
Ann Brown (UKIP): 191
Norah Fisher (LD): 1,083
David Ide (C): 607
Sid Wells (L): 121


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