LABOUR triumphed in the battle for control of Southampton, seizing two seats to maintain their grip on the city council.

Although the party lost two seats, including one held by the city's education chief, the two gains from the Conservatives saw Labour's slender majority maintained.

In the build up to the election the Conservatives, who lost control in 2012, entertained real hope of regaining power  

However the result left them deflated and sparked jubilant scenes from Labour at the Guildhall, where the count and announcements took place.

Elsewhere in Hampshire the Liberal Democrats kept their iron grip on control of Eastleigh council while the Conservatives continued to rule in Fareham and Gosport.

The count for the Winchester City Council election is not being held until tomorrow.

Meanwhile the count for the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner results began at 11am on Friday.

In the Southampton vote the other big winners were the Independent Councillors Against the Cuts, with Tammy Thomas unseating Labour's Sally Spicer in Coxford to leave the group in control of all three of its seats, with her father Don occupying one of them.

Labour seized Portswood from the Consetvatives for the first time in 35 years, with John Savage ousting outgoing Mayor Linda Norris, pictured below.

Daily Echo: 793rd Mayor Making Ceromony at Southampton Guildhall. 20/5/15 Mayor Linda Norris at the Mayor's office (27891384)

And in Millbrook Sarah Taggart claimed Conservative environment spokesman Steven Galton's seat.

However in Sholing James Baillie took the seat for the Conservatives from Labour cabinet member for education Dan Jeffery.

Fellow cabinet members Mark Chaloner (finance) and Dave Shields (health), were both reelected in Shirley and Freemantle respectively.

It means Labour have 25 seats, the same number they started the night on, while the Tories drop one seat to 19 and the Independents gain one to have four overall.

Labour's party chairman for Southampton, Matt Tucker, said: "I'm extremely pleased with the result, we have amazingly won seats like Portswood which we haven't had for 35 years, and we have been heartened by the fact that the Conservative vote collapsed in some areas and we increased our majority in areas like Swaythling and Freemantle."

Cllr Tammy Thomas said: "My mission is to say no to cuts, protect what we have and build on our foundations."