Local election - Blue is the colour for Rother

There were jubilant scenes as the Conservatives increased their number of seats from 24 to 31.

And there were shocks as the leaders of the local Labour and Liberal Democrat groups both lost their seats.

Sam Souster’s exit from Rye leaves Rother with just one Labour MP in Sidley’s Maurice Watson, while Battle’s Kevin Dixon lost his seat to Conservative Martin Noakes by just 65 votes.

It was a bad day for the Liberal Democrats, losing three of their five seats, with just stalwarts Kathryn Field and Sue Prochak remaining in the Battle Town and Salehurst wards respectively.

The number of Independent councillors fell from seven to four.

All the results can be found by ward at www.bexhillobserver.net and www.ryeandbattleobserver.co.uk or on reporter Laura Cooke’s Twitter feed @laurabutton1

For more, please see this Friday’s Bexhill, Battle and Rye Observers.