ALL three main political parties were today left with something to shout about after a mixed bag of council election results across Hampshire.

A blue tide swept across Winchester as the Conservatives stormed back into power with a stunning victory that gave them overall control of the city.

Southampton Labour candidates bucked the national trend by putting in a solid performance which left the party with a net gain of one seat.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats could point to a powerful showing in Eastleigh where the party gained two seats to put them in their strongest ever position on the council.

In Winchester the Tories toppled the leaders of both the Lib Dem and Labour groups as they won seven seats from their opponents. They will now run the council for the first time since the early 1990s.

Some blamed revelations earlier this year that the area's Lib Dem MP Mark Oaten had had a relationship with a male prostitute for the party's fall from grace.

Lib Dem council leader Sheila Campbell, who had backed Mr Oaten after he was forced to resign from the party's front bench team over the scandal, lost by nearly 300 votes to Tory Victoria Weston.

Mr Oaten did not appear at the count.

Labour group leader Patrick Davies was also ousted by a Conservative, James Stephens.

A fortnight of tense behind-the-scenes talks lie ahead for Lib Dem, Labour and Tory leaders in Southampton after the three parties ended up tied on 16 seats each.

They have until the city's annual council meeting on May 17 to reach agreement on who will rule the city.

Time could be running out for Lib Dem council leader Adrian Vinson after Labour and Tory insiders revealed his removal from the top job could be the price they demand to enter a coalition.

The Lib Dems increased their stranglehold in neighbouring Eastleigh after claiming two Tory scalps. They now hold 34 of the 44 council seats.

The state of play at Fareham remained unchanged after yesterday's poll with the Conservatives still holding a large majority over the Lib Dems. Labour failed to win a single seat.

Minor parties across the county, including the Greens and the far-right British National Party, failed to make an impact.

Two independents in Southampton standing under the Lowe Out banner in a bid to force Saints chairman Rupert Lowe to quit the club received 200 and 63 votes.