LABOUR has secured a historic win after winning control of a council for the first time in a "red wave’.

The party gained six seats on Worthing Borough Council from the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats to secure control for the first time in the council’s history.

Labour now hold 23 seats on the council, with the Tories down to 12 and the Liberal Democrats reduced to one councillor. There remains one independent represented on the council.

The Conservative deputy leader Edward Crouch was ousted by more than 450 votes in his Marine ward.

His replacement, Andy Whight, said Labour’s victory was like “winning the World Cup” and said he was looking forward to his first day as part of the incoming Labour administration.

Labour’s victory comes only five years after the party elected its first councillor for 40 years.

Councillor Beccy Cooper, leader of the Labour group in Worthing, thanked all those who backed the party and said: “We’re ready to work hard for you all.”

Peter Kyle, MP for Hove and shadow Northern Ireland secretary, said the mood was one of “sheer joy” after the “stunning, historic victory”.

“This is proof that Labour is reconnecting to traditional coastal communities,” he said.

Shadow Cabinet minister Annelise Dodds congratulated Cllr Cooper on her “fantastic achievement” and said that “Worthing is now officially Labour red”.

The party has also seen success in other parts of Sussex, winning control in Crawley and gaining seats in Adur.

However, the party’s gains have been tempered by Labour’s loss of control in Hastings at the hands of the Greens, who made three gains in the town.

Elsewhere in England, Labour have picked up councils in Southampton, Barnet, Wandsworth and Westminster, in a move described as a “turning point” for the party by Labour leader Keir Starmer.

Addressing crowds in north London, he said: “From the depths of 2019 in that general election, we’re back on track, winning in the north. We’ve changed Labour and now we’re seeing the results of that.”

The Conservatives have now lost more than 250 councillors across the country, and ten councils, while the Liberal Democrats gained control of Kingston-upon-Hull from Labour.