Margaret Ward, one of the controversial mayor's most trusted aides, lost her seat to independent candidate Ray Mullis in the first result declared in the town yesterday.

Counts were taking place overnight in Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham as local council elections took place in 159 authorities across the country.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown was braced for a pummelling at the polls as anger over the 10p tax rate abolition and prolonged criticism over his leadership led to predictions that Labour could lose up to 200 seats across the country.

However despite suffering several losses the party retained control of Barnsley Council – a traditional Labour stronghold.

In Doncaster Deputy Mayor Margaret Ward, who has served as a Labour councillor for nine years, was unseated by an independent candidate who said the result signalled a change in the politics of the town

Mr Mullis, whose wife Georgina is already a sitting independent councillor in Edlington and Warmsworth, said the "fight started now" against the system with which there was "strong disenchantment".

He added: "The independents are going to grow in numbers in Doncaster which will make for very interesting times in the months ahead."

One of the biggest upsets on the night in Barnsley was the loss of his Worsbrough seat by Labour stalwart Terry Bristowe.

Mr Bristowe has been serving on the council for more than 25 years and until yesterday was chairman of the planning committee.

The BNP also made significant gains in the town, taking second place in several wards.

The far-Right party also caused a major upset in Rotherham where their candidate John Gamble unseated the mayor Allan Jackson in the Brinsworth and Catcliffe ward.

Polls closed at 10pm last night and the majority of council counts will take place today.

However the first results showed Conservatives were picking up seats and councils around England.

Senior Labour figures admitted they were expecting a difficult night, with London campaign supremo Tessa Jowell saying "this is going to be tough".

In early results, Conservatives won Nuneaton and Bedworth in Warwickshire from Labour, gained Harlow in Essex from no overall control, and took West Lindsey in Lincolnshire from the Liberal Democrats. Liberal Democrats were celebrating success in the region's first result yesterday in Hull as they regained outright control of the former Labour stronghold.

The party had taken overall control of the city council last year only to lose it through councillors defecting since the last election

Today's results will show whether the Conservatives have been successful in winning over more voters in the north of England– including 12 elections taking place in Yorkshire.