LABOUR were the ones smiling in Redditch last week as the group retained control of Redditch Council.

The party secured victory after winning seats in Abbey, and Batchley and Brockhill and regaining seats in Batchley and Brockhill, Central, Greenlands and Lodge Park.

The Conservatives didn't gain any seats and lost three, two of those going to UKIP.

The election results in full are:

In Abbey ward Labour gained a seat with Rachael Smith winning 642 votes.

In Astwood Bank and Feckenham the Tories managed to hold their seat with Jane Potter getting 827 votes, taking over from Michael Chalk.

For Batchley and Brockhill (two seats) Labour held one with a win from Natalie Brookes who got 747 votes and gained one with John Witherspoon who received 718 votes.

In Central Labour comfortably held their seat with Debbie Taylor being re-elected with 815 votes.

In Church Hill UKIP gained a seat with Dave Small getting 665 votes.

For the Crabbs Cross ward there was a Conservative hold with David Thain getting 669 votes, taking over from previous councillor Derek Taylor.

In Greenlands there was a Labour hold with Wanda King being re-elected with 883 votes.

For Headless Cross and Oakenshaw there was a Conservative hold with Gay Hopkins being re-elected with 805 votes.

For the Lodge Park ward Labour managed to hold their seat with Andy Fry getting re-elected with 582 votes.

In Winyates there was UKIP gain with Paul Swansborough getting 834 votes.

UKIP's Peter James Bridle was announced as the newly elected County Councillor in the Arrow Valley East division following a by-election sparked by the resignation of Martin Jenkins, who quit after saying he was outraged by Nigel Farage's refusal to accept gay marriages.

Mr Bridle received 2,017 votes and will join Joseph Baker (Labour) as county councillor for the division.

However, UKIP's success, both locally and nationally, will be marred by news that councillor Dave Small faces being kicked out of the party for referring to gay people as "perverts" and African immigrants as "scroungers".

The comments were made on Mr Small's Facebook account earlier in the year.

UKIP's Stuart Cross, who represents Redditch South on Worcestershire County Council, said on Twitter: "If the new cllr has said that. Then he gets no support from me. He should resign without hesitation as those views are disgraceful."

A UKIP spokesman said that the party's national executive committee would look into the posts and decide on what action to take.

For more election reaction and news in full, keep checking the Advertiser site.