Labour tightened its political grip on Hastings Borough Council, snatching three seats from the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

Yesterday's election left the council with 21 Labour members, ten Tories and one Lib Dem until the next election in 2004.

But there were celebrations among the Tories as they overtook the Lib Dems in spectacular fashion.

The Tories gained ten seats while the number of Lib Dem councillors fell from eight to just one.

Revised electoral boundaries meant this was the first time in 28 years that all 32 seats had been up for grabs.

With the redrawing of the boundaries, the familiar names of Broomgrove, Elphinstone and Mount Pleasant vanished.

In are the new Baird, Conquest and Tressell wards, with Labour clinching four of those six seats.

Labour leader Jeremy Birch said Labour were beginning to lead Hastings out of deep-seated poverty.

He pointed to the £400m regeneration package for Hastings and Bexhill, which includes a university, better housing and the creation of thousands of jobs.

Councillor Birch said: "This is a victory for Labour and a victory for the people of Hastings."

Turnout was 32 per cent. In 2000 it was 26.4 per cent.

Dejected Lib Dem leader, Stephanie Edmonds, who lost her seat in Maze Hill, said: "We will have to regroup and plan ahead for the future.

"We will now need to look to address the mistakes, if any have been made, to see what we can do better."

Tory leader John Wilson said: "We may not have had a good four years, but we are coming back.

"They said it couldn't be done. Watch your backs, folks."

None of the fringe parties claimed seats, although the Greens had put up ten contenders.

The most colourful candidate was Rock'n'Roll Loony Party contender "Lord" Brett McLean, who wore top hat and tails.

Mr McLean became the youngest councillor in Britain in the Nineties when he gained a West St Leonards seat for the Lib Dems, aged 21.

But today he found himself on the losing end, gaining just 42 votes.

Two high-profile names conspicuous by their absence were Labour's first council leader, Richard Stevens, and mayor Jackie Dowling.

The pair, who are partners, have quit local politics.

Results (*denotes sitting councillor):

Ashdown (two seats): John Wilson* (C) 558; Robert Cooke (C) 549; Colin Dormer (LD) 331; Kenneth Hadler (L) 324; Inge Eveleigh (L) 318; Henry Campbell (LD) 310. C gain, C hold.

Baird (two seats): Robert Hart (L) 473; Ion Castro (L); 448; Gillian Bing (C) 368; Esther Carpenter (C) 362; Stephen Randell (LD) 175. New ward.

Braybrooke (two seats): Godfrey Daniel* (L) 831; Dominic Sabetian (L) 697; Raymond Marchant (C) 343; Nicholas Prince (C) 328; Janet Saxby (LD) 189; Roy Tobin (LD) 166; Amanda Eyre (G) 81; Michael Turner (G) 73; Robert Longworth (Ind) 68. No change.

Castle (two seats): Pamela Brown * (LD) 627; Clive Jackson (L) 583; Melanie Rycroft (L) 541; Paul Smith* (LD) 483; Cynthia Jones (C) 153; Joan Patten (C) 151; Laurence Homewood (G) 121. LD hold, L gain.

Central St Leonards (two seats): John Humphries* (L) 690; Trevor Webb (L) 608; Fiona Evans (C) 405; Gladys Martin *(C) 398; Thomas Leitch (LD) 171; Emily Johns (Green) 138. L hold, L gain.

Conquest (two seats): Dennis Moon (C) 656; Peter Pragnell (C) 627; Hugh Nicholson (L) 357; Greg Rose (LD) 354; Andrew Luke (L) 325; Robert Harris (Ind) 196. New ward.

Gensing (two seats): Andrew Cartwright (L) 498; Ronald Rushbrook (L) 436; Vivienne Bond* (LD) 425; Gary Pantrey* (LD) 346; (Wendy Goldsmith (C) 229; Joseph Jones (C) 229; Mary Modlinger (Green) 93; L gain two seats.

Hollington (two seats): Paul Silverson (L) 511; Terry Soan * (L) 508; Phillippe Bedford (C) 177; Elfriede Molloy (C) 176; Roger Weeden (LD) 111; Kevin Young (Green) 74. L hold.

Maze Hill (two seats): Joy Waite (C) 624; Maureen Charlesworth (C) 623; Stephanie Edmunds* (LD) 329; Bruce Dowling (L) 319; Susannah Farley-Green (L) 286; Peter Dalton* (LD) 234; Mary Robertson (Green) 86. C gain two seats.

Old Hastings (two seats): Michael Bigg* (L) 778; Arthur Kitson (L) 637; Ian Porter (C) 473; Arthur Burgess (C) 453; Susan Palmer (LD) 371; Anne Scott* (LD) 328; Diana Marquand (Green) 137. L hold, L gain.

Ore (two seats): David Hancock * (L) 503; Peter Chowney (L) 450; Mark Charlesworth (C) 268; Andrew Feeley (LD) 245; Jocette Wilson (C) 222; Sally Phillips (Green) 118. L hold.

St Helens (two seats): Keith Bing (C) 781; Matthew Lock* (C) 760; John Ward (L) 637; David Waller (L) 631; Feargal Coffey (LD) 281; C hold.

Silverhill (two seats): Annette Barton (L) 601; Alan Roberts* (L) 546; Theresa Lock (C) 376; Shefali Nimbark (C) 326; William Third (LD) 244; Simon Medhurst (Green) 96. L hold.

Tressell (two seats): Jay Kramer (L) 500; Trevor May (L) 452; Lyn Burgess (C) 138; Robin Edmonds (LD) 137; Katherine Cassidy (C) 131. New ward.

West St Leonards (two seats): Peter Finch (C) 346; Matthew Beaver (C) 337; Thomas Munch-Petersen (L) 286; Keith Wood (L) 277; Joan Feeley (LD) 206; Donald Wise (LD) 203; "Lord" Brett McLean (Rock'n'Roll Loony) 42. C gain, C hold.

Wishing Tree (two seats): Jeremy Birch * (L) 895; Philip Scott* (L) 720; Raymond Molloy (C) 256; Quentin Waite (C) 228; Antony Davis (LD) 166. L hold.