Labour take all 24 seats in Sandwell

Labour strengthened its stranglehold on Sandwell Council, winning all 24 seats contested in the election and ousting the former Tory opposition leader.

All six of the Sandwell Tory councillors who were up for re-election lost their seats last night, including former Conservative group leader Ray Nock, in Charlemont with Grove Vale, who was pipped by a 20-year-old Wolverhampton University student Liam Preece for Labour.

The last Liberal Democrat in the borough, Sadie Smith, also lost her seat, which she had held since 1982. It leaves just two Tory opposition members sitting on the authority, councillors Mavis and Ann Hughes.

In the battle of Great Bridge ward, longstanding Labour Councillor Derek Rowley also overcame his Tory namesake, whose candidacy was described as an attempt to confuse voters by critics.

Labour leader of Sandwell Council Darren Cooper said: "People were fed up with the way the Conservative-led government were picking on the weak and vulnerable."

Speaking after the count at Tipton Sports Academy, Councillor Cooper said that with the vote of confidence, came an extra need to govern responsibly.

From May, Councillor Cooper said he would invite community members to sit on so-called scrutiny panels at council to question authority decision-making, despite the overwhelming Labour majority in the borough.

There were major Conservative losses as the party lost its grip on power in many councils across the West Midlands.

Labour celebrated a rout of its rivals in Birmingham, winning 20 seats and overall control with 77 out of 120 seats – ousting the Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition.

The counting of votes in a referendum on whether or not the city should have an elected mayor was taking place today but early indications are that Birmingham has voted 'no'.

The biggest shock was in Dudley, which was won by Labour as 13 Tories lost their seats – 12 to Labour and one to the Greens.

Labour also became the largest party on Walsall Council but remained three seats short of an outright majority.

And the Tories were stripped of their majority at Wyre Forest District Council.

Labour won a majority in Cannock Chase having been a minority administration for the past year.

Cannock's Labour council leader George Adamson said: "We've taken seats from all of the other parties. People do not like this government, with its NHS reforms and tax cuts for the rich."

In Wyre Forest the controlling Conservative group remains the largest party by a long way but has lost its majority with 20 out of 42 seats.

Vote counting in Wolverhampton was getting under way today but the pattern is expected to be repeated with the Tories facing the loss of seats they won in the 2008 election .

In total, the Conservatives lost 11 councillors in Birmingham, six in Sandwell, four in Wyre Forest, three in Walsall and one in Cannock Chase.