Conservatives hold onto London's Havering Borough

Polling Station in UK - placing vote in ballot box

More than 6,000 candidates contested 1,861 seats in 32 boroughs

The final council election results at Havering Borough in east London have been declared - four days after the votes were cast.

The outcome had been delayed by recounts in the wards of Harold Wood and St Andrews.

The Conservatives kept control of the local authority despite some Labour gains.

Final results are expected at south London's Lewisham Council on Tuesday, also following recounts.

The Labour Party made gains in the local elections in London, snatching Ealing, Enfield and Harrow from Tories and Brent, Camden, Hounslow, Islington Southwark and Waltham Forest from no overall control.

BNP lose seats

The Liberal Democrats held Sutton and Kingston but lost Richmond to the Tories, who held on to control of nine boroughs.

The British National Party (BNP) lost all 12 of its seats on east London's Barking and Dagenham Council, which was held by Labour.

Sally Bercow, the wife of the Commons speaker John, failed to win a council seat for Labour in Westminster, losing St James's ward to the Conservatives.

More than 6,000 candidates contested 1,861 seats in 32 boroughs.

Three borough mayoral elections have also taken place.

Labour's Sir Robin Wales was been re-elected mayor of Newham; Jules Pipe, Labour, was re-elected mayor of Hackney and the party's Steve Bullock was re-elected as mayor of Lewisham.