A QUESTION mark is hanging over the leadership of Maidstone Council after the Conservatives gained two seats in the local elections.

The Tories now hold 23 of the council's 55 seats. They snatched seats from the Liberal Democrats in Coxheath and Hunton and South wards as well as taking a Labour stronghold in Shepway North.

Previously, no party was in overall control of the council, with both the Tories and the Liberal Democrats holding 21 seats.

It will now be up to the council's Liberal Democrat and Labour parties to decide whether they want to form a coalition to fight off the Conservatives.

Conservative party leader, Cllr Eric Hotson, said: "We would like to take control of the council, but it depends on Labour. They may well wish to go into a coalition and if they do there will be nothing I can do about it."

Full results:

Allington

Gareth Kendall (UKIP) - 326

Marianna Poliszczuk (Lab) - 250

Malcolm Robertson (Lib Dem)* - 1317 E

James Taghdissian (Con) - 617

Barming

Patrick Coates (Lab) - 64

Paul Oldham (Con)* - 877 E

Shona Stevens (Lib Dem) - 95

Bearsted

Richard Ash (Con) * - 1733 E

Sheila Chittenden (Lib Dem) - 473

Frank Gandy (UKIP) - 351

Anthony Hull (Lab) - 302

Boughton Monchelsea and Chart Sutton

Edith Davis (Lab) - 42

Michael Fitzgerald (Ind)* - 710 E

Theresa Stirk (Con) - 261

Boxley Ward

Ian Chittenden (Lib Dem) - 781

Wendy Hinder (Cons) - 1105 E

William Hitches (BNP) - 163

Simon Wady (Lab) - 195

Yvonne Whitehead (UKIP) - 199

(N.B - Previous councillor, Cllr Michael Yates (Con), not standing for

re-election)

Bridge

Derek Nicholson (Con) * - 605

Marion Saumtally (Lab) - 201

Robert Thompson (UKIP) - 143

Michael Tucker (Lib Dem) - 655 E

Coxheath and Hunton

Adrian Brindle (Con) - 982 E

Ernest Small (Lab) - 232

Duncan Spencer (UKIP) - 241

Moira Walter (Lib Dem) * - 976

Maidstone East

Carole Hall (Lab) - 226

Anthony Robertson (UKIP) - 249

Patrick Sellar (Lib Dem) * - 1167 E

James Shalice (Green) - 87

Alan Warner (Con) - 724

Fant

Stephen Beerling (Lib Dem) - 619

Morel D'Souza (Lab) * - 693 E

Stephen Dean (UKIP) - 197

Margaret Leggat (Con) - 437

Ian Mcdonald (Green) - 121

Headcorn

Penelope Kemp (Green) - 146

Juliet Maddocks (Lib Dem) - 206

Pamela O'Brien (UKIP) - 181

Elizabeth Stevens (Lab) - 126

Richard Thick (Con)* - 1153 E

Heath

Scott Hahnefeld (Con) - 358

Peter Hooper (Lib Dem)* - 671 E

Antony Whitehead (UKIP) - 91

Brian Wood (Lab) - 142

High Street

Leonard Burfield (Lab) - 282

Paul Butcher (Con) - 469

Denise Joy (Lib Dem) * - 734 E

Terence Kendall (UKIP) - 274

Marden and Yalding

Lisa Evans (UKIP) - 275

Paddy Germain (Con) * - 1154 E

John Hughes (Lab) - 226

Carol Jacques (Lib Dem) - 672

North

Keith Adkinson (Lab) - 169

Margaret Kendall (UKIP) - 214

Jennifer Paterson (Lib Dem)* - 997 E

Jennifer Reid (Green) - 80

Carolyn Warner (Con) - 486

North Downs

Michael Bedwell (UKIP) - 134

Michael Casserley (Lab) - 85

Jeanne Harwood (Lib Dem) - 132

Daphne Parvin (Con) * - 516 E

Park Wood

James Cook (Lab) * - 271 E

Timothy Crockford (Con) - 242

Stanley Dale (UKIP) - 164

Robert Field (Lib Dem) - 214

Shepway North

Christopher Garland (Con) - 881 E

Michael George (UKIP) - 266

Stephen Muggeridge (Green) - 95

Geoffrey Samme (Lib Dem) - 234

Julie Skinner (Lab) * - 617

Shepway South

Charles Richardson (UKIP) - 231

Michael Shaw (Lib Dem) - 140

Ken Stevens (Lab) * - 453 E

Charles Worsfold (Con) - 390

South

Richard Coates (Lab) - 177

Michael Norman (UKIP) - 287

Lesley Polley (Con) - 1077 E

John Wilson (Lib Dem) - 966

(N.B - Previous councillor, Cllr Ronald Ellis (Lib Dem), did not stand for re-election)