UKIP enjoyed a successful evening in Basildon as it gained three seats, ensuring the Tories could not gain overall control of the authority.
While all existing Tory councillors, including council leader Phil Turner, retained their seats, they failed to improve on the 18 councillors they previously had.
It means no party will have control of the 42-seat council chamber, but Ukip has established itself as the main opposition with ten councillors.
The party took three extra wards and nearly took a seat from the Tories in Langdon Hills, but councillor Stephen Hillier retained his position on the council by only two votes.
Despite losing two seats to Ukip, Labour retained the nine seats it held previously, winning St Martin's and Lee Chapel North wards.
The Green Party and Lib Dems both lost their solitary councillors.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL WARD-BY-WARD RESULTS FOR BASILDON COUNCIL
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