IT WAS the new party called Sheppey First! which had most to shout about at Thursday night's Swale Borough Council elections.

They gained four out of the six seats they were standing in - Chris Boden got 1,316 votes, unseating the sitting Conservative councillor Adrian Crowther who now loses his right to become the next mayor of Swale. He polled 460 votes.

Cllr Boden said: "This only goes to prove that the people of Sheppey want to put the Island first. They are sick and tired of being ruled from Swale House in Sittingbourne."

And Mr Crowther said: "It was a popular vote but it will be a non-starter because the figures do not add up. The cost of being independent would be so much."

The other successful Sheppey First candidates were Lesley Igham for Sheppey Central, Patricia Sandle for Leysdown and Warden and Gemma Wray for Sheeress East.

Mick Constable (Lab) was a popular winner in Queenborough and Halfway having ousted the Tories.

Andrew Bowles, Conservative leader of the council, said: "I'm looking forward to working wth members of all parties. It is important that all 47 councillors work together for the good of the whole community."

The make-up of the council is now 26 Tories, 10 Lab, six Lib Dems, four Sheppey First! and one Ind.