Ukip make strides across Essex as local election results roll in

It was a good night for Ukip across Essex as they made gains in a couple of key local council battlegrounds. The party claimed six seats in Thurrock as the Labour vote collapsed, taking them to 17 seats, the same number as the Conservatives.They nicked four seats from Labour, one from the Tories and one from an independentElsewhere, Ukip took two seats in Basildon. The Conservatives remain the largest party with 18 councillors, but Ukip established themselves as the main opposition with ten...