The Liberal Democrats are today celebrating a shock result in true blue Horsham, which has left the town with a hung council.

On a night of election shocks, the loss of the Conservative bastion - and the council chairman - ranks among the most unexpected.

John Wardropper Charles lost his seat after eight years as the Conservatives won 22 seats, the Lib Dems 20 and independents two, leaving a hung council.

The party held on to Mid Sussex - but the result went right down to the wire.

In Crawley, Labour maintained its firm grip but a vicar who left the party over the war with Iraq split the vote in one ward allowing Conservatives to sneak in.

In Mid Sussex, half way through the count there were grim faces among the Conservatives as resounding cheers from the Lib Dems echoed round the hall.

But by the early hours of today the smiles were back on Tory faces and it was the turn of the Lib Dems to look deflated.

Lib Dem Irene Balls, Haywards Heath Town Council mayor, was disappointed not to be elected to the district council but vowed she would find other ways to help the town.

She said: "I'm sad, of course, but there are other ways to help. I will find something valuable to do."

Despite the nerve-racking hours as votes were counted, re-counted, and in some case counted a further three times, there are few changes overall.

But the Lib Dems had the last laugh this morning when Ian Dixon was finally declared the winner of East Grinstead Herontye - after the drawing of lots.

After several recounts he tied with Conservative Edward Belsey on 626 votes and the council drew lots and Mr Dixon was chosen along with another Liberal Democrat, David Heasman.

The result leaves the Tories with 28 seats, four more than the Lib Dems' with Labour winning the other two seats.

Paddy Henry and Richard Goddard typically bucked the Tory/Lib Dem trend by keeping their two Labour seats in Haywards Heath Bentswood ward.

Anne Jones was re-elected to her seat in Burgess Hill Leylands ward along with fellow Lib Dem Gillian Balsdon. She said: "It makes all the hard work worthwhile, but it's thanks to the wonderful people who voted for us. I'm thrilled."

Elsewhere, Labour lost control of Brighton and Hove and the Lib Dems no longer have a majority in Worthing.

The Green Party had a resoundingly successful night in Brighton and Hove, doubling its showing from three seats to six.

But the Conservatives failed to win over voters in Eastbourne, who kept faith with the Lib Dems despite facing one of the highest council tax rises in the country.

Worthing's Tories gained one seat from the ruling Lib Dems to give the borough a hung council. The resort also elected its first Muslim councillor, Conservative Jack Saheid.

The balance of power remained unclear in Brighton and Hove this morning. Labour is likely to form a minority administration - it has 24 seats, the Tories 20, the Lib Dems three, Greens six and independents one.

The election in full: thisisbrightonandhove.co.uk/local_election/results.html