Hastings election: Voting ends and counting begins

Residents have been visiting their local polling stations making their choice for who should represent their ward at Hastings Borough Council.

The Sussex police and crime commissioner is also up for election as well as East Sussex County Council St Helens and Silverhill ward following the death of John Hodges but voting closed at 10pm.

The wait is now on as the army of counters go through the votes at Horntye Park Sports Complex.

Only half of councillors are up for election with one vacancy in each ward, other than Old Hastings after Mr Hodges’ death, a total of 17 seats are up for grabs.

Labour is hoping to maintain its control of the council and build on its 75 per cent share of councillors and not lose any of its 13 seats up for election.

The Conservatives will be looking to improve on its eight councillors and not lose its three up for election and the Liberal Democrats will be looking to get a foothold on the local authority again as it has not had a councillor since 2010.

The Green Party has a full roster of candidates standing in all borough wards for the first time and UKIP has five candidates in the running.

There is one sole independent, Clive Gross, who is standing in St Leonards Central.

Here is the full list of candidates:

Ashdown: Kelvin Brotherston (Lab), Gabriel Carlyle (Green), Rob Cooke (Con), Tony Seymour (Lib Dem).

Baird: Warren Davies (Lab), Al Dixon (Green), John Faulkner (Lib Dem), Terry Keen (Con).

Braybrooke: Xan Brooker (Lib Dem), Janet Grigg, (Cons), Sally Phillips (Green), Dominic Sabetian (Lab).

Castle: Matthew Owen Davies (Con), Andrea Needham (Green), Nicky Perry (Lib Dem) Judy Rogers (Lab).

Central St Leonards: Clive Daniel Gross (independent), Arkady Johns (Green), Sue Tait (Lib Dem), John Waterfall (Con), Trevor Webb (Lab).

Conquest: Lindsey Fellows (Lib Dem), Eileen Masters (Lab), Charlotte Potter (Green), John Rankin (Con).

Gensing: Joel De-Roe (Con), Kim Forward (Lab), Paul Homer (Green), Kim Misiri (UKIP), Paul Roger Smith (Lib Dem).

Hollington: Nigel Barry (Con), Chris Lewcock (Lib Dem), Pete Mason (Green) Ken Pankhurst (UKIP), Emily Westley (Lab).

Maze Hill: Mike Lushington (Lib Dem), Andy Patmore (Con), Chris Petts (Green), James Prentice (Lab).

Old Hastings: James Bacon (Lab), David Barry (Green), Claire Hamill (Con), Dawn Poole (Lab), Peter Pragnell (Con), Adam Rosenberg (Lib Dem), Jack Shoesmith (UKIP).

Ore: Jake Bowers (Green), Laurie Loe (Con), Patrick Millar (UKIP), Richard Street (Lab), Kate Tudgay (Lib Dem).

St Helens: Sue Adey (Con), Andy Batsford (Lab), Julia Hilton (Green), Stewart Gregory Rayment (Lib Dem).

Silverhill: Tony Collins (Green), Pam Croft (UKIP), Stephen Milton (Lib Dem), Dom Sayer (Con), Nigel Sinden (Lab).

Tressell: Philip Howard Broad (Lib Dem), Peter Chowney (Lab), Seb Norton (Con), Judy Scott (Green).

West St Leonards: Mike Howard (Lab), Eve Montgomery (Lib Dem), Thaddeus Skews (Green), Graeme Williams (Con).

Wishing Tree: Will Davis (Green), Frances Day (UKIP), Patricia Ann Kennelly (Lib Dem), Kay Rogers (Con), Phil Scott (Lab).

A by-election is also set to be held for the East Sussex County Council St Helens and Silverhill ward following the death of John Hodges. The candidates are: Martin Clarke (Con), Julia Jane Hilton (Green), Stewart Gregory Rayment (Lib Dem), Judy Rogers (Lab).

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1) Make our website your homepage at www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/ 2) Like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/hastingsobserver

3) Follow us on Twitter @HastingsObs

4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

The Hastings Observer - always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.