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Londoners have not turned out to back Ukip in local elections because the capital's population is too "well-educated", one of the party's senior councillors has suggested.

Suzanne Evans conceded that Ukip "haven't really got our message across" in London, where indications show support for Nigel Farage's party is significantly lower than in other parts of the country.

In Essex, the party gained 11 new seats in Basildon, five in Castle Point and five in Southend-on Sea, with the council shifting from Tory control to no overall control.

But the eurosceptic party's success to the east of London does not appear to be transferring to seats in the capital.

Ms Evans, who is Ukip's communities spokeswoman told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "There is work to do, I think we haven't really got our message across in London.

"As you say, we do have a more media-savvy, well-educated population in London, and they are more likely I think to have read some of the negative press that's been about us and I think they've been more likely to believe it."

London local election count - in pictures 14 show all London local election count - in pictures 1/14 Nap time Fatigue sets in at Chessington as dawn breaks at the count for the Royal Borough of Kingston (Picture: Lucy Young) Lucy Young 2/14 Long night It was a long night in Chessington (Picture: Lucy Young) Lucy Young 3/14 Grabbing 40 winks The count at Trinity School in Croydon (Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images) Rob Stothard/Getty Images 4/14 Day break The count for Kingston went through the night (Picture: Lucy Young) Lucy Young 5/14 The count begins The count starts in the Royal Borough of Kingston (Picture: Lucy Young) Lucy Young 6/14 Busy scene The count of votes in Redbridge Town Hall (Picture: Nigel Howard) NIGEL HOWARD 7/14 Election night The count of votes in Redbridge Town Hall (Picture: Nigel Howard) NIGEL HOWARD 8/14 Feeling sleepy Fatigue sets in at Chessington as dawn breaks at the count for the Royal Borough of Kingston (Picture: Lucy Young) Lucy Young 9/14 Nearly there Members of the Labour Party wait for results in Croydon (Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images) Rob Stothard/Getty Image 10/14 Result Candidates for the New Addington ward in the Borough of Croydon, (left to right) Clive Christensen of the United Kingdom Independence Party (Ukip), Louisa Woodley from the Labour Party, Tony Pearson from the Conseratives and Oliver Lewis from the Labour Party listen to the results (Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images) Rob Stothard/Getty Images) 11/14 Counting under way Council staff count votes from local elections at Trinity School in Croydon (Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images) Rob Stothard/Getty Images 12/14 Well done Councillor Jas Athwal, Mayfield Ward, Labour, is congratulated by Sadiq Khan at Redbridge Town Hall (Picture: Nigel Howard) NIGEL HOWARD 13/14 The count The Kingston count in Chessington (Picture: Lucy Young) Lucy Young 14/14 Adding it all up Council staff count votes from local elections at Trinity School in Croydon (Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images) Rob Stothard/Getty Images 1/14 Nap time Fatigue sets in at Chessington as dawn breaks at the count for the Royal Borough of Kingston (Picture: Lucy Young) Lucy Young 2/14 Long night It was a long night in Chessington (Picture: Lucy Young) Lucy Young 3/14 Grabbing 40 winks The count at Trinity School in Croydon (Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images) Rob Stothard/Getty Images 4/14 Day break The count for Kingston went through the night (Picture: Lucy Young) Lucy Young 5/14 The count begins The count starts in the Royal Borough of Kingston (Picture: Lucy Young) Lucy Young 6/14 Busy scene The count of votes in Redbridge Town Hall (Picture: Nigel Howard) NIGEL HOWARD 7/14 Election night The count of votes in Redbridge Town Hall (Picture: Nigel Howard) NIGEL HOWARD 8/14 Feeling sleepy Fatigue sets in at Chessington as dawn breaks at the count for the Royal Borough of Kingston (Picture: Lucy Young) Lucy Young 9/14 Nearly there Members of the Labour Party wait for results in Croydon (Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images) Rob Stothard/Getty Image 10/14 Result Candidates for the New Addington ward in the Borough of Croydon, (left to right) Clive Christensen of the United Kingdom Independence Party (Ukip), Louisa Woodley from the Labour Party, Tony Pearson from the Conseratives and Oliver Lewis from the Labour Party listen to the results (Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images) Rob Stothard/Getty Images) 11/14 Counting under way Council staff count votes from local elections at Trinity School in Croydon (Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images) Rob Stothard/Getty Images 12/14 Well done Councillor Jas Athwal, Mayfield Ward, Labour, is congratulated by Sadiq Khan at Redbridge Town Hall (Picture: Nigel Howard) NIGEL HOWARD 13/14 The count The Kingston count in Chessington (Picture: Lucy Young) Lucy Young 14/14 Adding it all up Council staff count votes from local elections at Trinity School in Croydon (Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images) Rob Stothard/Getty Images

She said the capital's "metropolitan elite" audience could not relate to the reasons for such a swing towards Ukip in other parts of the country.

"London is its own person if you like - its own body, its own individual character - and it's very different from the rest of the country," she said.

"Look at the social demographic. You have lots of metropolitan elite that I think cannot really understand the heartache and the pain that many people around the country are feeling."

But Nigel Farage said his party's results were proof they are "serious players".