Ukip have had a 'strong and stable defeat' in Great Yarmouth at the county council elections.

Eastern Daily Press: Count for Great Yarmouth area for the Norfolk County elections.Conservatives, Haydn Thirtle with Penny CarpenterCount for Great Yarmouth area for the Norfolk County elections.Conservatives, Haydn Thirtle with Penny Carpenter (Image: Archant © 2017)

The party lost all three seats it was defending on Norfolk County Council, and its share of the vote went down too.

Yarmouth-based Stuart Agnew, one of Ukip's MEP in the East, echoed Theresa May's election slogan, saying his party faced a 'strong and stable defeat' in the local elections.

The party swept in at the 2013 county council elections, marking the start of their insurgency.

Meanwhile the Conservatives were triumphant nationally and in Yarmouth, picking up four seats and taking six of the nine seats up for grabs in Yarmouth.

Eastern Daily Press: Count for Great Yarmouth area for the Norfolk County elections.Count for Great Yarmouth area for the Norfolk County elections. (Image: Archant © 2017)

MORE: Latest election results in Norfolk and Suffolk county council electionsLabour held steady ending up with three seats again, after gaining one and losing one.

The first result in Norfolk was declared in Yarmouth at about 10.30am when Labour took Yarmouth Nelson and Southtown from UKIP.

Mike Smith-Clare, Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for Great Yarmouth at next June's general election, took 843 votes, ahead of Ukip's chairman in the borough, second-placed Peter Fitzgerald with 562 votes.

Eastern Daily Press: Count for Great Yarmouth area for the Norfolk County elections.Count for Great Yarmouth area for the Norfolk County elections. (Image: Archant © 2017)

The Conservatives have also taken Breydon from UKIP, with Tory Carl Smith triumphant with 1,289 votes. UKIP's Alan Grey, who was elected in UKIP's 2013 surge, was down in third place, with Labour's Trevor Wainwright, the party's group leader on the borough council, in second spot.

Labour's Colleen Walker has held her Magdalen ward in the town, while Mick Castle keeps Yarmouth Central and North red.

But the Conservatives have taken East Flegg from UKIP. Borough councillor and former police detective Ron Hanton easily beat UKIP's Jonathan Childs into second place, with 1,529 votes to the 714 garnered by Mr Childs.

And the Conservatives also took Caister on Sea from Labour, through Penny Carpenter. UKIP were second and Labour pushed down to third.

Eastern Daily Press: Count for Great Yarmouth area for the Norfolk County elections. Conservative, Graham Plant.Count for Great Yarmouth area for the Norfolk County elections. Conservative, Graham Plant. (Image: Archant © 2017)

The Tories have also taken Lothingland in the Yarmouth area, which had been vacant following the death of UKIP's Colin Aldred, Andy Grant will represent the division at County Hall, while borough council leader Graham Plant has retained Gorleston St Andrews for the Conservatives, beating former Labour MP Tony Wright who took second place with 834 votes, and Kay Grey, leader of the UKIP group in third with 401 votes.

Hayden Thirtle held West Flegg for the party.

Earlier, Mrs Grey, said she was not feeling hopeful and felt people had 'voted on national issues'.

Eastern Daily Press: Count for Great Yarmouth area for the Norfolk County elections.Count for Great Yarmouth area for the Norfolk County elections. (Image: Archant © 2017)

County-wide picture

The Conservatives look set to take overall control of Norfolk County Council, after a strong showing in the local elections.

The current political make-up at County Hall before today was 42 Conservative, 14 Labour, 11 UKIP and independent, 10 Liberal Democrat, three Green, two non-aligned, one independent and one vacancy.