West Country local election results 2016

Devon and Cornwall's new Police and Crime Commissioner says one of her top priorities is to improve the force's visibility.

Conservative Alison Hernandez beat her labour rival last night by less than three thousand votes. She says she wants to increase the number of uniformed police on the streets.

Conservative Alison Hernandez was elected as the new Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall on the second count. She replaces Tony Hogg who is standing down.

After Labour increased it's majority in Exeter council elections Ben Bradshaw has sent a strong message to Jeremy Corbyn saying come to the city and see how Labour can win power:

Independent Martyn Underhill has been re-elected as the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner. He received 66,660 of the 129,461 votes cast.

The turnout for the Devon & Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner election is 23% with over 294,000 casting their vote.

Listed in alphabetical order, here are the people standing for election as Police and Crime Commissioner for the area is:

• Jonathan Leslie Smith, UKIP
• William Morris, Independent
• Richard Younger-Ross, Liberal Democrat
• Bob Spencer, Independent
• Gareth Derrick, Labour
• Alison Hernandez, Conservative

The result is due to be announced later today (6 May).

The Green Party has won its first seat on Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.

Local GP Jon Orrell claimed victory in the Dorset council's Weymouth East ward, with 55.3% of the vote.

His victory follows the election of Clare Sutton, who became the first Green on Dorset County Council when she won the Rodwell by election in Weymouth in November.

However Weymouth and Portland Borough Council remains in no overall control.

Labour are no longer the largest party on Plymouth City Council - and the leader of the Council Tudor Evans faces a challenge to keep hold of his job.

Last night's election saw the Conservatives gain one seat, in Eggbuckland, meaning the parties are tied at 27 seats each in a hung council.

Voting took place for 19 of its 57 seats - about a third.

Labour previously had the most seats on the authority, with 28, followed by the Conservatives with 26.

Overnight, the Conservatives gained one seat to take them up to 27 councillors, the same number as Labour, with UKIP remaining on three.

It's been a night of elections across the South West, including council elections.

In Exeter Labour strengthened its control of the City Council. It now has 30 of the 39 seats, with the Conservatives 8 and the Lib-Dems just 1.

The party had thought new boundary changes could have favoured the opposition but it wasn't the case as Ben Bradshaw MP tells us.