The leader of Chichester District Council lost her seat during a dramatic election night.

The district's Liberal Democrats dented the Conservative Party's previous nine-seat majority with a series of gains at yesterday's count in Westgate Leisure Centre, Chichester.

The major political casualty was Tory council leader Jane Chevis, who lost the Boxgrove ward seat she had held for more than a decade.

The result saw the council still in Tory hands with 26 seats but the Lib Dems snatched two out of 49 seats.

Mrs Chevis said she had expected a "hard fight" for her seat because she was up against popular West Sussex county councillor Michael Hall.

After hearing of her defeat, Mrs Chevis said: "I had good local opposition and I knew it was not going to be easy so the result was not unexpected.

"I was not helped with county council tax increases - there was a backlash.

"Mr Hall, being a Lib Dem county councillor, was helped in that way because the county council is Tory-controlled.

"Now I can go back to looking after my family but I'll be back to fight another day."

Lib Dem leader Councillor Andrew Smith, who retained his seat in Lavant, was delighted with the progress his party made in Boxgrove and Fishbourne wards but felt the Labour Party "put in a weak show" for crucial seats in Selsey.

He said: "We made an advance and had some spectacular gains in terms of individual seats - we knocked three portfolio councillors off, including the leader of the council.

"It is a major blow for the Tories.

"The candidate who beat her is hugely popular in that ward but in the case of Fishbourne, our candidate simply worked extremely hard."

The result of the count hung in the balance when all that remained to be announced were the votes from the two Selsey wards. Five seats were available but the Lib Dems did not enter any candidates.

Coun Smith said: "We are thin on the ground in Selsey and Labour put in a weak show."

Chichester South Labour candidate Benjamin Earnshaw-Mansel said: "We put a lot into Selsey but it was not to be - we came very close."

RESULTS
BOSHAM: Elected - David Myers (C) 649, Myles Cullen (C) 623. Not elected - Clifford Archer (I) 588, Gerald Lynch (LD) 441, Douglas Denny (UKIP) 178.

BOXGROVE: Elected - Michael Hall (LD) 431. Not elected - Jane Chevis (C) 358, Antony Bird (UKIP) 54.

BURY: Elected - Susan Hallock (C) 481. Not elected - Paul Wellstead (LD) 205.

CHICHESTER EAST: Elected - Quentin Cox (LD) 653, Anthony French (LD) 639, Eva French (LD) 635. Not elected - Rebecca Harris (C) 304, Gina Simpson (C) 283, Nigel Sitwell (UKIP) 247, Josephine Eckhard (G) 191, Peter Nutt (L) 191, John Smith (L) 156, Doris Walton (L) 141.

CHICHESTER NORTH: Elected - Gloria Hooley (LD) 1002, Edith Pingree (LD) 961, Richard Plowman (LD) 903. Not elected - Stuart King (C) 731, Nicholas Roberts (C) 715, Timothy Roberts (C) 640, Michael Mason (UKIP) 205, Valerie Briginshaw (G) 173, David Morrison (L) 122, John Barr (L) 117, Frances Turner (L) 98.

CHICHESTER SOUTH: Elected - Anne Scicluna (LD) 876, David Siggs (LD) 753, Alan Chaplin (LD) 741. Not elected - Hilary Flynn (C) 377, Dorothy Spirit (C) 365, Robin Bell (C) 336, John Bennett (L) 214, Anne Craven (UKIP) 159, Benjamin Earnshaw-Mansel (L) 154, Susan Bramwell-Smith (L) 151, Prudence Dwyer (G) 149.

CHICHESTER WEST: Elected - Clare Apel (LD) 655, Michael Shone (LD) 628. Not elected - Julie Rooker (C) 414, James McCulloch (UKIP) 205, Andrew Emerson (L) 165, Margaret Denis (L) 116.

DONNINGTON: Elected - John Ridd (C) 356. Not elected - George Wells (LD) 312, Michelene Lawson (L) 46.

EASEBOURNE: Elected - Michael Fay (LD) 344. Not elected - Norma Graves (C) 331.

EAST WITTERING: Elected - Karen Clay (C) 524, Mary Green (LD) 485. Not elected - Thea Hucklesby (C) 412, Celia Barlow (L) 221, Patrick O'Sullivan (L) 188, Gordon Simpson (UKIP) 148, Jacqueline Taylor (G) 109.

FERNHURST: Elected - John Mitchell (LD) 718, Heather Caird (C) 606. Not elected - William Quinn (LD) 593, Mamdouh Salameh (I) 450, Nola Hendon (C) 405.

FISHBOURNE: Elected - Adrian Moss (LD) 607. Not elected - Clifford Spawton (C) 223.

FUNTINGTON: Elected - Frank Garrett (C) 542. Not elected - John Rankin (LD) 243.

HARTING: Elected - Andrew Shaxon (I) (No contest)

LAVANT: Elected - Andrew Smith (LD) 442. Not elected - Mary Goldsmith (C) 164.

MIDHURST: Elected - Alan Cartwright (C) 678, Brian Weekes (C) 587. Not elected - Judith Fowler (LD) 532, Robert Devereux (LD) 453.

NORTH MUNDHAM: Elected - Stephen Quigley (LD) 368. Not elected - Anthony Dignum (C) 292.

PETWORTH: Elected - Janet Duncton (C) 952, Margaret Field (C) 808. Not elected - Sarah Barstow (LD) 477, Catherine Perschke (LD) 442.

PLAISTOW: Elected - Brian Hooton (C) 677, Anthony Walker (C) 667. Not elected - Raymond Cooper (LD) 397, Paul Colville (LD) 383.

ROGATE: Elected - Patricia Janes (C) 531. Not elected - Kevin Campbell (LD) 254, Ashley Mote (UKIP) 89.

SELSEY NORTH: Elected - Melva Bateman (C) 694, Stewart Adamson (C) 657. Not elected - Alan Dyer (C) 615, Ian Bell (L) 457, Margaret Dyer (L) 451, Wendy Pengelly (L) 414, Andrew Wilkinson (UKIP) 291.

SELSEY SOUTH: Elected - Albert Vines (C) 567, John Curtis (C) 551. Not elected - Janet Miller (L) 324, Bernard Smith (UKIP) 321, Sidney Hoy (L) 312.

SIDLESHAM: Elected - Diana Pound (LD) 295. Not elected - Patricia Tull (I) 182, Robert Jaffa (L) 79, Derek Hunnikin (UKIP) 66.

SOUTHBOURNE: Elected - Mary Marrs (C) 743, Graham Hicks (C) 739, Barbara Gowlett (LD) 684. Not elected - Nigel Brown (C) 679, James Jennings (LD) 623, Penelope Blackmore (LD) 530, Alicia Denny (UKIP) 170, June Leonard (L) 159, Duncan Hollowood (L) 149, Marguerite Lawrence (L) 145.

STEDHAM: Elected - John Cherry (C) 547. Not elected - Daniel Warner (LD) 260.

TANGMERE: Elected - Joyce Meyer (LD) 258. Not elected - Paul Newton-Lewis (C) 204, Andrew Young (L) 33.

WEST WITTERING: Elected - Anthony Davies (C) 938, Peter Jones (C) 843. Not elected - Roger Tilbury (LD) 346, Roger Wilson (UKIP) 325, Simon Green (LD) 285, Trevor Churchill (L) 107, Joan Welch (G) 93, Kenneth Newman (L) 81.

WESTBOURNE: Elected - Maureen Elliot (C) 391. Not elected - John Baker (L) 122, Reginald Musgrave (UKIP) 101.

WISBOROUGH GREEN: Elected - Robert Field (C) 481. Not elected - John Barstow (LD) 299.