Tories were today celebrating an overall night of triumph in West Sussex.

Worthing elected its first Moslem councillor, Jack Saheid, as the Conservatives gained a seat from the Liberal Democrats to form a hung council.

Coun Saheid, who emigrated to the UK from Guyana, South America, said he plans to concentrate on the welfare of East Worthing after taking the seat.

The Tories also made gains in Adur, and remain in overall control of Arun and Chichester, where the leader of the council, Jane Chevis, was dramatically ousted.

Mrs Chevis put her loss down to a backlash against council tax increases and because she had a hard fight against popular West Sussex county councillor Michael Hall.

Conservatives in Adur were jubilant after taking four seats from Labour and one Independent.

Elsewhere in Sussex, Labour lost control of Brighton and Hove and the Tories lost their grip on Horsham.

The Green Party had a resoundingly successful night in Brighton and Hove, doubling its showing from three seats to six.

But the Conservatives failed to win over voters in Eastbourne, who kept faith with the Lib Dems despite facing one of the highest council tax rises in the country.

The balance of power remained unclear in Brighton and Hove this morning.

Labour is likely to form a minority administration - it has 24 seats, the Tories 20, the Lib Dems three, Greens six and independents one.

But in Horsham a strong Lib Dem challenge toppled the blues.

Council chairman John Wardropper Charles lost his seat on what is now a hung council.

Other well-known politicians left without a seat include former Brighton and Hove mayor Jenny Barnard-Langston (Lib Dem).

The election in full: thisisbrightonandhove.co.uk/local_election/results.html