It was a dramatic day in Canterbury as the Conservatives suffered two high-profile casualties and saw their grip on the city council loosen.

Former senior councillors Simon Cook and Ben Fitter-Harding lost their seats as Labour and the Liberal Democrats made gains across the district.

Mr Cook, who was the leader of the Conservative group since 2015, was defeated in Nailbourne by centrist Mike Sole by almost 240 votes.

The 43-year-old headed into the day sitting on a narrow majority of just 73 from the election in 2015.

Mr Fitter-Harding saw his lead of 419 evaporate as he finished fifth in Blean Forest.

In the same ward, former Lord Mayor George Metcalfe, who defected to the Liberal Democrats from the Conservatives last year, also lost his position in the local authority by just three votes.

Replacing them in the ward are Liberal Democrats Alex Ricketts and Dan Smith and Conservative Barbara Flack.

Other big names to fall today were Labour's Simon Warley and long-standing councillor Brian Baker (Con).

In Herne Bay, the Conservatives won every seat available displacing former Ukip and Conservative Greenhill councillor David Hirst in the process.

Senior Tory Neil Baker suffered a scare as he clung onto his Tankerton seat by just four votes.

Overall, the Tories finished 23 councillors in the local authority, Labour 10 and the Liberal Democrats six.

To see how every candidate fared and when the results rolled in, visit our live blog HERE.

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