The Labour Party strengthened their hold on Sefton Council with a strong showing in this year's local elections.
Although the night saw very few changes throughout the council, Labour increased their gains in a number of wards. The ECHO covered count live as the counting kicked off in Southport and Aintree to determine how this year's local elections had panned out.
The biggest moment of the night came when Labour managed to gain the Harington ward in Formby from the Conservatives. The result meant Conservative deputy group leader Denise Dutton lost her seat after 12 years on the council.
READ MORE: Confusion as people turned away from polling station on election day
Prior to the local elections, there was plenty of speculation on whether or not 'Partygate' would have an effect on the results and it potentially played a role in that Harington result. It means Labour now hold 47 of the council's 66 seats.
Two wards in Sefton saw recounts at the end of the night, with Cambridge having two recounts that saw Conservatives' lead over the Liberal Democrats change from 25 to 18with a third recount restoring the lead to 25, with the Tories holding their seat.
Another honourable mention on a night that saw little change goes to Kew's Labour candidate, Laura Lunn-Bates, winning by a landslide margin with 1,562 votes, to the Tories' 842. Labour also increased its grip on both Molyneux and Blundellsands, with strong wins in both the wards.
