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A Tory MP was left in tears in a BBC interview as her party was dealt an astonishingly brutal local election wipeout by the Lib Dems.

Vicky Ford put her head in her hands as she became visibly upset in Chelmsford - where the anti-Brexit party overturned a 45-seat Tory majority to seize control.

The Essex council is among a string of Home Counties, Brexiteer heartlands where the Tories lost overall control overnight - along with Basildon, Southend-on-Sea and Folkestone & Hythe.

But the incredible scale of the wipeout in Chelmsford, where the Lib Dems gained 26 seats and the Tories lost 31, took Ms Ford by surprise.

She admitted there were Tory voters "staying at home frustrated at the uncertainty over Brexit ."

Asked for her reaction, she apologised to the BBC interviewer as she put her head in her hands and took several seconds to regain her composure.

(Image: BBC)

After a pause she said she was "really disappointed" as Tory councillors had "worked their absolute socks off".

The Conservatives in Chelmsford went from 52 seats to just 21, a result Ms Ford later described as "brutal" on Twitter.

Voters dealt a blow to both main parties in their heartlands over the Brexit chaos in a bruising night of local elections.

The Tories lost hundreds of seats as local councillors were punished for a Parliament in chaos.

But Labour failed to seize the spoils from the Tories' loss - with huge gains instead going to the Lib Dems, who boasted of their best night ever.

Voters declared "a plague on both your houses", polling expert John Curtice said.

Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable visited Chelmsford City Council this morning for a jubilant post-election meeting with councillors.

(Image: PA)

He said the party's victory in Essex reflected a "story across the country", adding: "The Lib Dems were written off at one point but we're coming back very, very strongly.

"We're the big winners of the night throughout the country."

He said the anti-Brexit party expected to do well should the UK go to the polls again for the European elections later this month.

He said: "We're very clear about our message. Every vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote for stopping Brexit.

"Absolutely clear, unambiguous, honest. We expect to do well.

"We are clearly the dominant, successful Remain party and we expect everybody to get behind us in that important election."

But as Sir Vince spoke in the Essex town, someone shouted from a car driving past: "Vote Brexit, it's no good, get out".

CONSERVATIVE GAINS

Walsall: Cons gain from No Overall Control. C gain 2, Lab lose 2. New council: C 32, Lab 26, LD 2

North East Lincolnshire: Cons gain from No Overall Control. C gain 5, UKIP gain 1, Lab lose 4, LD lose 1, Ind lose 1. New council: C 23, Lab 14, LD 4, UKIP 1

CONSERVATIVE LOSSES

(Image: PA)

Basildon: Cons lose to No Overall Control. Lab gain 2, Ind gain 2, C lose 4. New council: C 20, Lab 15, Ind 6, UKIP 1

Tandridge: Cons lose to No Overall Control. R gain 3, LD gain 2, Ind gain 1, C lose 6. New council: C 16, LD 11, Ind 8, R 7.

Peterborough: LD gain 2, Lab gain 1, Green gain 1, C lose 3, UKIP lose 1. New council: C 28, Lab 17, LD 9, Ind 3, Green 2, Lib 1C lose to NOC

Southend-on-Sea: Cons lose to No Overall Control. Lab gain 3, LD gain 3, Ind gain 2, C lose 8. New council: C 20, Lab 14, Ind 12, LD 5

St Albans: LD gain 7, C lose 7. New council: LD 25, C 23, Lab 6, Ind 3, Green 1

Worcester: Green gain 1, C lose 1. New council: C 17, Lab 15, Green 3

Winchester: LD gain 5, C lose 5. New council: LD 27, C 18

Welwyn Hatfield: LD gain 4, C lose 2, Lab lose 2. New council: C 23, Lab 13, LD 12

Folkestone & Hythe: Lab gain 6, Green gain 6, LD gain 2, C lose 10, UKIP lose 2, Ind lose 2. New council: C 13, Lab 6, Green 6, UKIP 2, LD 2, Ind 1

North Kesteven: Ind gain from C. Ind gain 8, C lose 8. New council: Ind 22, C 20, Vacant 1

Tendring: Cons lose to No Overall Control. Ind up 5, Lab up 2, LD up 1, C down 17, R down 3 New council: Ind 17, C 16, Lab 6, UKIP 5, LD 2, Vacant 2

Broxtowe: Lab gain 3, LD gain 1, Ind gain 1, C lose 5. New council: C 20, Lab 14, LD 5, Ind 3, Vacant 2

South Oxfordshire: LD gain 10, Green gain 5, Lab gain 2, R gain 2, C lose 17, Ind lose 2. New council: LD 12, C 10, Green 5, R 3, Lab 3, Ind 3

Chelmsford: LD gain 26, Ind gain 5, C lose 31. New council: LD 31, C 21, Ind 5