THE BNP won a seat on Thurrock Council.

The far right party, which fielded candidates in every ward, won Tilbury Riverside as Emma Colgate won the seat.

However, the Conservatives held on to power in a night of drama at the Civic hall in Grays.

The Tories won ten of the 18 seats up for election, with Labour getting six.

Meanwhile, Thurrock Council Tory leader Terry Hipsey came through a four way fight to retain his Stanford-le-Hope West seat by a comfortable margin.

Anita Nuss, widow of former Labour councillor Alphonse, was 268 votes behind, with the BNP third and local businessman Clive Broad's UKIP challenge fading away with just 165 votes.

Councillor Hipsey said: "I would like to thank the electorate who have given us the go-ahead for another two years."

Labour councillor Yash Gupta polled the single largest vote of any of his party members in crushing the opposition in Grays Thurrock ward.

He said: "I just want to say a very heartily thank you to all those voters who have voted for me.

"I must thank my colleagues in the Labour party who have helped me.

"I will work very hard for the people of Thurrock to make sure our community works very closely and happily for the benefit of everybody."

The BNP last won a seat in Thurrock in 2004.

In her victory speech Emma Colgate said: "I'd like to thank all the voters and my campaign team who were out on the streets for 12 hours a day.

"The other councillors say they don't want to work with me, well I don't want to work with them.

"This vote is also a message to the Labour Government."