It was a historic day for Labour as it took control of Adur District Council for the first time ever.

A dire local election for the Tories across the country was mirrored in Adur with the Conservatives holding just one of the 16 contested seats.

Labour now holds 17 seats on the council and a majority.

The Conservatives have eight seats, the Green party two and Shoreham Beach Residents Association two.

Labour went into the election with eight seats while the Conservatives went in with 15.

The party made gains in Cokeham, Eastbrook, Peverel, Widewater, Buckingham, Hillside and Churchill wards.

It also held seats in Southwick Green, Southlands, St Mary's and Mash Barn.

Conservative councillor Neil Parkin, the leader of Adur District Council heading into the election, said he was "not surprised" by the result.

Councillor Jeremy Gardner, leader of Adur Labour and now leader of the council, said it was a “historic moment for Adur and a wonderful, extraordinary moment for the people of Adur”.

“We are delighted and I think the people of Adur should be delighted because they're going to have a council who will work for and with the community,” he said.

“We did win in some wards that we were not expecting to and I think it shows the hunger for change.

“It shows just how people are turning to Labour to find solutions out of the problems we have, the faltering services, the neglected areas and infrastructure and the cost-of-living crisis.

“All those issues came into this.”

Cllr Gardner said his party wants to “create a fairer, greener Adur”.

“We want to protect the environment and green spaces," he said.

“That is important to us and we will work hard on issues of the environment and tackling climate change.”

Labour’s candidate for East Worthing and Shoreham for the next general election Tom Rutland said the result had made him “optimistic” but added “we're not taking it for granted”.

"It really shows that people are putting their trust in a changed Labour party,” he said.

Labour also strengthened its hold in Worthing, gaining two seats to make a total of 26 out of the council's 37.

Ahead of the count today at Worthing Leisure Centre, Councillor Kevin Jenkins, leader of Worthing Conservatives, said he expected today's results to reflect what is happening nationally.

He said many usual Conservatives voters were deciding not to vote Conservative or not to vote at all due to how they feel about the national government.

"They feel there needs to be change," said Cllr Jenkins.

"We are benchmarked on national policy."

One Conservative councillor who lost her seat in the Adur elections was Mandy Buxton-Andrews.

Ms Buxton-Andrews was a councillor for four years and represented Churchill ward.

She said she was “absolutely gutted”, particularly as she lost her seat by 17 votes to Labour’s Nigel Sweet.

“People feel very disillusioned by the government,” she said.

“People told me they knew how hard I worked but that they wouldn’t vote Conservative.

“A lot of people don’t want to vote Conservative.”