In Sheffield, the Liberal Democrats have taken control after snatching seats from Labour and the Conservatives.

The council was previously under no overall control, with Labour and the Liberal Democrats holding an equal number of seats.
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But today's result gives the Liberal Democrats a majority in the city where party leader Nick Clegg has his constituency.

The Liberal Democrats won four seats from Labour, one from an Independent councillor and took the only Conservative seat in the city, giving them 45 of the 84 seats on the council.

Labour now holds 36 seats, having also lost one seat to the Green party, taking their number of councillors to three.

In Hull, the Lib Dems had already scored a major victory, last night taking outright control of the former Labour stronghold, gaining five seats in the backyard of former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott and Health Secretary Alan Johnson.

It was a night to forget as Labour lost two seats to the Lib Dems, and not all will have been cheered by former Council leader Colin Inglis staging a comeback after two years in the political wilderness.

Coun Inglis regained his Myton seat following his suspension by the Labour party, punishment for helping the Lib Dems take over the council in 2006, and a battle with stomach cancer.

The controversial Labour councillor was originally suspended after his arrest over child abuse allegations dating back to the 1980's. He was cleared of 10 charges at Leeds Crown Court in 2006.

"There's a reason to come back," he said. "This place matters.

"Unfortunately three quarters of the people (who didn't bother to vote) have demonstrated that they don't think it matters and it's our job to convince them they are wrong."

Coun leader Carl Minns said: "The 10p tax clearly had an impact. It shows Nick Clegg's Liberal Democrats can win in the big cities and Labour are on the way out."

Nick Clegg's party also saw the only change in Leeds, where the Weetwood seat passed to the Liberal Democrats. Overall, the authority remains in no overall control.

The political composition now stands with Labour on 43 seats, Liberal Democrat 24, Conservative 22, Morley Borough Independent 5, Green Party 3, Independent 1, and the BNP 1.

The Lib Dems narrowly missed out in North East Lincolnshire, which now has the youngest councillor in its history in 18-year-old Jon-Paul Howarth, elected in the East Marsh ward.

But his victory, a Liberal Democrat gain from Labour, was not enough to give the party overall control of the authority, which remains a hung council.

The Lib Dems increased their seats by one to 20, two short of the number needed for a majority.

Labour also lost out in Calderdale, where the number of its seats were cut to nine.

Voters in the Todmorden ward finally elected a Tory councillor - for the first time since 1975 - with Ian Cooper beating his Lib Dem opponent Hilary Myers by more than 100 votes.

But the Lib Dems were able to inflict a rare defeat on Labour's Mohammed Najib, one of Calderdale's legendary political figures, in a bitter battle for Park ward after 53-year-old Mohammed Ilyas won a tight contest.

Labour also lost in Illingworth and Mixenden to the BNP's Tom Bates.

There was a major upset in Rotherham when BNP candidate John Gamble unseated mayor Allan Jackson in the Brinsworth and Catcliffe ward.

The far right party gained two seats from Labour and came second in a further two wards.

Mr Gamble, who took the seat by a majority of 61, said the impact of last year's floods may have led to voters becoming dissatisfied

The Tories gained three seats from Labour and Labour took one from an independent candidate, meaning that, of the 21 seats contested on the night, 14 went to Labour, five to the Conservatives and two to the BNP.

Overall, Labour retains a convincing majority in the council chamber, with 50 seats to the Conservatives' 10, as well as the two new BNP councillors and one independent.

But the BNP suffered in Kirklees where its first member on the council lost his seat to trades union activist Steve Hall for Labour.

The shop steward cut the BNP's presence on the council to two by pushing out David Exley from the Heckmondwike ward.

But the Conservatives overtook Labour as the main party on the council, with 22 members to Labour's 21.

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

Mr Bristowe has a long background on the council and until yesterday was chairman of the planning committee.

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

Labour retain hold of the authority, traditionally a stronghold, but only by one seat after real fears the party could have lost control.

Doncaster's Deputy Mayor was unseated by an Independent candidate in the first results to be declared at the borough's count.

Margaret Ward, one of controversial mayor Martin Winter's most trusted aides, lost her seat to Ray Mullis.

Mrs Ward, who has served as a Labour councillor in Edlington and Warmsworth for nine years, said she was unsure whether she would return to local politics.

Overall, the independents gained one seat while Labour lost two. The Conservatives took a seat from the independents in Sprotborough, while the Lib Dems held their three in the Bessacarr and Cantley, Mexborough and Town Moor wards.

The council remains in no overall control, with its political make-up now standing at Labour 27, independents 15, Lib Dems 12 and Conservatives nine, although the authority will continue to be run by the mayor, who saw two members of his cabinet lose their seats.

Full national picture emerging here>>