CANVEY Independent Party is celebrating after keeping all its seats on the island.

The party held on to all the six seats up for election on the island while the Conservatives maintained their stronghold in Hadleigh, Thundersley and Benfleet.

The Tories remain in charge of Castle Point Council but were disappointed not to score a single seat on Canvey.

Bill Sharp, who won in St James's ward by a huge majority, said he would have rather won by a "single vote" and the party to have snatched a seat on the island.

Labour came behind the British National Party in two wards on Canvey and behind the United Kingdom Independence Party in Boyce ward.