Labour’s hopes of maintaining their seats in the Euclid Street chamber, bolstered by holds in Old Town, Mannington & Western and Gorsehill & Pinehurst were crushed in the third tranche of wards counted. 

Three ‘red wall’ seats all fell to the Conservatives. Rodbourne Cheney, Penhill and Upper Stratton and even Central Ward were taken by the Tories. 

With the Conservative hold in Covingham and Dorcan it means party held on to power in the chamber and started building a really big majority.

With 31 seats and eight more wards to be counted, this means the Conservatives will have at least a majority of five. 

David Renard, Conservative leader, was thrilled: “We thought we had a chance in Rodbourne Cheney and Penhill & Upper Stratton, but to win in Central as well, we never really expect to do well there.”