We can now reveal the full results from today's exciting local election.

Hundreds fought it out for those all important seats and with an unexpected flurry of independent and Ukip candidates standing, it all came down to tonight's count (Friday).

Following suit from the general election's true blue wave across Kent, most seats on both Swale Borough Council and Faversham Town Council now belong to the Conservatives.

Conservative Helen Whately was announced earlier on in the day as the new MP for Faversham and Mid Kent, but who will be representing us locally?

Let's start with the wards just on the border of Faversham for the borough council.

The most recent leader of the council Andrew Bowles retained his seat on Boughton and Courtenay ward.

He said: "I never expect the results. I don't put any dates in my diary after today. But the hard work starts again tomorrow."

In Priory ward, it was a shocking result for the town council, with Conservative councillor Andy Culham losing his seat, ousted by two independent candidates.

Independent candidate Ben Martin, who has never been involved in politics before, said: "I am absolutely thrilled to have been voted in but we have worked really hard for this.

"I started canvassing in February and I haven't stopped since. Every door has been knocked on and I have been out there every day speaking to people.

"Really looking forward to it."

Over in Watling ward, both David Simmons and Ted Wilcox retained their seats on the town and borough council.

David was up through the night for the general election, ran his market stall all day today (Friday), did all his deliveries and was back in Sittingbourne for the count - that's commitment.

David said: "Very pleased with the result. This is what we had hoped for but we never take it for granted. It's nice to see the outcome of a lot of hard work we have done in this ward."

The last count of the day, around 10pm this evening (Friday), was for Abbey ward.

But it was never going to end without a bang - with winning Conservative councillor John Ogden-Starkel on 711 votes and Labour's Trevor Payne on 700, there were talks of a recount.

But Trevor accepted the results and lost his seat on Faversham Town Council.

Faversham Town Council -

Claire Belsom (ind)

Ben Martin (ind)

Mike Cosgrove

Bryan Mulhern

Anita Walker

John Ogden-Starkel

Nick Green

Ted Wilcox

David Simmons

Shiel Campbell

Geoff Wade

Nigel Kay

Trevor Abram

Swale Borough Council Faversham's representatives

George Bobbin

Andrew Bowles

Colin Prescott

Mike Henderson (ind)

Mike Cosgrove

Nigel Kay

Ted Wilcox

David Simmons

Bryan Mulhern

Anita Walker

See next week's Faversham News for full coverage and pictures.