Labour suffered a devastating defeat in Fareham yesterday after failing to win a single seat.

It was a bitter blow for the party's leader Mick Prior, who lost his seat in Fareham South to Conservative newcomer Dennis Steadman.

In a decisive win for the Conservatives the party led by Councillor Sean Woodward comfortably clung on to power, winning 17 seats, three ahead of the Lib Dems.

But in one of the night's shock results Conservative stalwart Nick Walker lost out in Portchester West to Lib Dem Stephen Clark.

GOSPORT stays a hung council after yesterday's local elections.

The Liberal Democrats did the best out of all three parties gaining seven seats - putting them on an equal footing with Labour with 12 seats each.

The Conservatives slipped into third place, winning ten seats and losing the mayor-elect Denis King in Privett to the Lib Dems.

The future leadership of the council is in disarray as parties are expected to thrash out who they will put forward as a candidate to lead the council in the next few days.