LABOUR narrowly missed out on seizing an overall majority on Monmouthshire County Council - after the toss of a coin.

They finished proceedings with 22 seats - two shy of the 24 needed for a majority.

The final seat of the day, Llanfoist Fawr and Govilon, went down to the toss of a coin after Tomos Davies of the Conservatives and Bryony Nicholson of Labour both received exactly 679 votes.

Ms Nicholson guessed heads on the coin toss. It was tails.

She said: "What can I say?

"People who told me 'I can't make a difference' - if you had voted it wouldn't have gone to a coin toss.

"Just one person who couldn't be bothered."

She said that, on the whole, turnout had been good and said she was grateful to all those who had voted.

That meant Mr Davies was elected.

The Tories, who started strongly, saw their majority completely wiped out by the Labour surge.

There was also cause for celebration for the Green Party, with Ian Chandler becoming the county's first ever councillor for the party by winning in Llantilio Crossenny.

Seats around Chepstow largely went red, with the Tories doing better in the more rural parts of the county.

Richard John, leader of the council, retained his seat, but the same was not true of Jo Watkins of the Lib Dems, Paul Jordan of the Tories or Jane Pratt also of the Tories.

These changes took place in Caldicot Castle, Cantref and Llanelly respectively.

The Conservative representatives were largely missing towards the end of proceedings in what turned out to be a disappointing day for the party as a whole.

The final results were:

  • Labour - 22
  • Conservative - 18
  • Independent - five
  • Green - one

This leaves the council, which has been controlled by a Conservative majority since the 2017 election, with no overall control. A power-sharing deal will now need to be reached, but what form that will take is unclear.