THE LEADER of a council who formed a breakaway political group after being suspended from the Tory Party lost his seat in the local elections last night.

By Graham Dines

THE LEADER of a council who formed a breakaway political group after being suspended from the Tory Party lost his seat in the local elections last night.

And this morning, although four results are still yet to be declared, it emerged that officially approved Conservatives would be striving to form a minority administration on Tendring District Council.

Council leader Terry Allen, who was suspended as a Conservative in February, lost his Frinton seat after setting up Tendring First, a local party made up of disenfranchised Tories.

And although the newly-formed Tendring First gained 10 seats on the council last night, it was not enough to deflect a re-invigorated and renewed Conservative assault on the district, which landed them with 26 seats from the 60 up for grabs, displacing both Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

Speaking after the count was suspended at around 4am, Neil Stock - leader of the reformed Conservative Group - said he felt it would be possible to establish a Tory-run council, even though the party did not have the “magic” 31 seats that would have ensured overall power.

The district had formerly been run by an alliance of Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Independent members.

But Mr Allen claimed the Tory group would run into problems and said Tendring First would continue its fight. "We resigned from the Conservative Party because we didn't like the way it was going both in this area and across the country in general.

"They are always obsessed with the general elections and not the local ones.

"We have got a party now. It is up and running and it looks like it can go places. There are lots of other opportunities on the horizon and we will look and see what we can do."

Before last night's elections the balance of power on Tendring District Council was Conservative 25, Labour 11, the Liberal Democrats 13, residents' groups three and independent members eight.

This morning the line up was Conservative 26, Tendring First 10, Labour six, the Lib Dems five, residents' groups two and independents seven.

Four seats - two for the ward of Manningtree, Mistley Little Bentley and Tendring and a further two for St Osyth and Point Clear - are subject to recounts that will be held alongside parish and town council election counts later today.