THE leader of Hampshire County Council Ken Thornber has quit the top job after a night of election drama across the county.

The 80-year-old Conservative announced his decision minutes after retaining his Brockenhurst seat.

But it was UKIP that sent shock waves through Hampshire politics this morning by gaining 10 seats to become the third largest party in the county.

The Conservatives lost six seats, but still are the largest Hampshire group and the Liberal Democrats are still the main opposition party.

Labour gained three seats and now has four councillors sitting at the Castle in Winchester, and there are two independents.

In Basingstoke and Deane, the Conservatives remain the majority group, filling six of the borough’s ten posts.

But there was a win for Labour as Criss Connor gained a seat from the Liberal Democrats in Basingstoke Central.

In one of the morning’s surprise results Liberal Democrat Warwick Lovegrove snatched Tadley and Baughurst from long-serving Conservative Marilyn Tucker.

UKIP failed to win any seats in Basingstoke, but were runners up in eight divisions.

The final results mean that the borough is represented in Winchester by six Conservatives, two Labour, and two Liberal Democrats.

Overall in Hampshire the Conservative Party holds the majority with 45 seats. The Liberal Democrats 17, followed by UKIP’s 10, Labour’s four, and two independent’s.

Hampshire Tories will now use the party’s annual meeting on Tuesday to decide who will replace Cllr Thornber as county council leader.

Likely front runners will be Cllr Mel Kendal, and Cllr Roy Perry, who mounted an unsuccessful leadership bid last year.

Cllr Thornber said that he had come under increasing pressure to stand down because of his age.

“Pressure was brought upon me by Cllr Perry on the grounds of my age,” he said.

“After beating him in the leadership contest I took the view that I should stand down after the elections.”

He added: “What was held against me was my age. I don’t feel my age and will step aside with the deepest of regret.

Cllr Perry has already confirmed he will put himself up for the post. He said: “I will make myself available to my colleagues to let them decide who should take control of the party. I hope they will consider voting for me, but it will be up to them.”