Local Elections 2013

Counts have been coming in across the West Midlands for the Local Elections 2013

Initial local election results in Staffordshire saw some Labour gains -with the Tories losing their stronghold in Tamworth.

Of the six Tory-held county council seats up for grabs in the borough, three fell to Labour and a fourth to an independent candidate.

RESULTS in your area:

UKIP attracted a high of 28% of the vote in Tamworth's Amington division, while former Labour MP Brian Jenkins secured victory in Watling North by a margin of only 20 votes.

Speaking after the Tamworth results were declared, the town's Conservative MP, Christopher Pincher, said the predicted rout of his party had failed to materialise.

Describing the initial results in Staffordshire as ''a mixed bag'', the MP added on Thursday: ''Labour can be pleased tonight but I think when they wake up tomorrow and look at the results, there is cold comfort in it in so far as their former MP scraped home by the skin of his teeth.

''Clearly, some of our vote has switched to Ukip - probably some Labour voters have as well - so we have to make sure that we redouble our efforts to explain to our supporters and potential supporters what we are doing on the issues that matter to them, like immigration, like welfare reform, like Europe.

Pointing out that the Conservatives had no seats in Tamworth as recently as 2005, Mr Pincher added: ''I think reports of our death have been seriously overstated and exaggerated.''

Asked about his party's showing at the by-election in South Shields, Mr Pincher replied: ''It's no surprise that mid-term there is going to be a protest against the Government having to undertake some very difficult measures.