The Conservative group have taken overall control of Dudley Council after a landslide victory at Thursday's local elections.

The council was the first authority in the Black Country, and one of a minority in the UK, to reveal their results after polls closed at 10pm on Thursday night. The first declarations were made public at around 6am.

One third of the authority's seats were being contested, as well as vacant seats in the Kingswinford North and Wall Heath and Belle Vale wards after Nicola Richards MP and Councillor Jake Cooper stood down.

A number of seats were taken by the Conservative Party with some large gains including in Quarry Bank and Dudley Wood where Rob Clinton was elected with a majority of more than 600 votes. In Lye and Stourbridge North, Dave Borley won another blue seat with a 44% share of the votes.

Labour lost their seat in Brierley Hill with Adam Davies gaining a 681 vote majority and a total count of 1692 votes and 

Back in 2016 Labour won 14 seats, compared to the Conservatives' 10, with UKIP taking just one. However since then the Tories have dominated the borough in the two general elections, but both they and Labour were hoping results swing their way to allow them to seize power. 

Full results, including vote counts can be found here.

More councils are due to declare on Friday afternoon, with the West Midlands Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner results expected on Saturday.