The Conservatives continue to have no overall control of Maidstone Borough Council, but they do leave this afternoon’s election count as winners.

The Tories exited Maidstone Leisure Centre with a net gain of one seat.

The party, led by Cllr Annabelle Blackmore, held on to eight of its 10 seats that were up for election and gained a further three, taking two from the Liberal Democrats and one from Ukip.

Scroll down for results in full

Despite this the Tory held South and Coxheath and Hunton wards were scooped by the Liberal Democrats, who went into the afternoon defending six seats and eventually left with six.

Ukip lost both seats it was defending, having won them in a by election last year.

Independent candidate Gordon Newton held on to his Downswood and Otham seat by a whisker, gaining just 33 more votes than Conservative Matthew Boughton.

Popular independent candidate Tom Sams pulled off a coup in Harrietsham, where he ousted Ukip and fended off strong competition from the Conservatives.

The council now consists of 25 Conservatives, 20 Liberal Democrats, six independents, two Labour members and two representatives from Ukip.

Maidstone Borough Council Election 2015

Allington

Cynthia Robertson – Liberal Democrats – 1,878 (Lib Dem hold)

Barry Ginley – Conservative – 1,313

Eddie Powell – Ukip – 711

Marianna Poliszczuk – Labour 376

Rejected ballot papers – 21

Bearsted

Val Springett – Conservative – 3,953 (Conservative hold)

Jim Grogan – Labour -666

Sarah Pettit – Ukip – 651

Geoffrey Samme – Liberal Democrat – 349

Ciaran Oliver – Green – 218

Rejected ballot papers - 23

Boxley

Malcolm Greer – Conservative – 2,611 (Conservative hold)

Jacqui Wardle – Ukip – 962

Richard Morgans – Labour – 574

Michelle Hastie – Liberal Democrat – 457

Rejected ballot papers – 14

Coxheath and Hunton

Richard Webb – Liberal Democrat – 1,501 (Lib Dem gain, Conservative loss)

Fred Lawrence – Conservative – 1,447

Angela Austen – Ukip – 765

Patrick Coates – Labour – 254

Mike Summersgill – Green – 167

Rejected ballot papers – 13

Detling and Thurnham

Nick De Wiggondene – Conservative – 1,052 (Conservative hold)

Peter Horler – Ukip – 304

John Watson – Liberal Democrat – 226

Geoff Harvey – Labour 180

Rejected ballot papers – 6

Downswood and Otham

Gordon Newton – Independent – 569 (Independent hold)

Matthew Boughton – Conservative – 536

Michael Harris – Ukip – 170

Audrey Gardner – Labour – 109

Elaine Boylett – Green – 50

Rejected ballot papers – 4

East

David Naghi – Liberal Democrat – 1,511 (Lib Dem hold)

Joe Mamo – Conservative – 1,250

Gareth Kendall – Ukip – 865

Richard Coates – Labour – 453

Hannah Patton – Green – 205

Sarah Hodge – Left Unity – 17

Rejected ballot papers – 17

Fant

Alistair Black – Conservative – 1,255 (Conservative hold)

Rosaline Janko – Liberal Democrat – 930

Elliott Dean – Labour – 860

Colin Taylor – Ukip -742

Ian McDonald – Green – 434

Rejected ballot papers – 16

Harriestsham and Lenham

Tom Sams – Independent – 1,308 (Independent gain, Ukip loss)

Patrik Garten – Conservative – 1,053

Mike Williams – Ukip – 601

Peter Underwood – Labour – 200

Stephen Coddrington-Clarke –Liberal Democrat – 113

Rejected ballot papers – 13

High Street

Fran Wilson – Liberal Democrat – 1,098 (Lib Dem hold)

Samuel Watkin – Conservative – 979

Jackie Hemsted – Ukip – 771

Stella Randall – Labour – 605

Gareth Phillips – Green – 238

Rejected ballot papers – 14

Leeds

Gill Fort – Conservative – 813 (Conservative hold)

Daniel Williams – Ukip – 315

Darrel McGuirk – Labour – 130

Georgia Dallas – Liberal Democrat – 121

Rejected ballot papers – 13

Loose

Susan Grigg – Liberal Democrat – 687 (Lib Dem hold)

Abigail Hogg – Conservative – 556

Anthony Ritchie – Ukip – 225

Rejected ballot papers – 8

Marden and Yalding

Annabelle Blackmore – Conservative – 2,038 (Conservative hold)

Pam Watts – Ukip 868

Rachel Hill – Liberal Democrat – 866

Edith Davis – Labour – 367

Robert Millar – Green – 151

Rejected ballot papers – 22

North

Michael Hemsley – Conservative – 1,255 (Conservative gain, Lib Dem loss)

Thomas Long – Liberal Democrat – 1,230

Charles Elliott – Ukip – 783

Keith Adkinson – Labour – 445

Donna Greenan – Green – 215

Rejected ballot papers – 11

Park Wood

Jade Webster – Conservative – 737 (Conservative gain, Ukip loss)

Peter Edwards-Daem – Ukip – 622

Alex Barwick – Labour -460

Sam Roach – Liberal Democrat – 177

Geoff Licence – Independent – 161

Paul Wooding – Independent – 80

Rejected ballot papers – 6

Shepway North

Marion Ring – Conservative – 1,614 (Conservative hold)

Mike Wardle – Ukip – 941

Theresa Lyons – Labour – 649

Milden Choongo – Liberal Democrat – 297

Stephen Muggeridge – Green party – 186

Gary Butley – English Democrats – 38

Rejected ballot papers – 7

South

Brian Clark – Liberal Democrat – 1,748 (Lib Dem gain, Conservative loss)

Mike Hogg – Conservative – 1,632

John Raymond – Ukip – 744

Wendy Hollands – Labour – 371

Guy Tanner – Green – 117

Rejected ballot papers – 14

Staplehurst

Louise Brice – Conservative – 1,392 (Conservative gain, Lib Dem loss)

Andrew Watson – Liberal Democrat – 754

John Randall – Labour – 244

Paul Kelly – Independent – 207

David George – Green – 123

Samuel Lain-Rose 28

Rejected ballot papers – 7

Sutton Valence and Langley

Paulina Stockell – Conservative – 1,017 (Conservative hold)

Jean Harvey – Labour – 183

Emily Fermor – Liberal Democrat – 158

Derek Eagle – Green – 128

Rejected ballot papers - 26