UKIP are celebrating making major inroads into the Forest after gaining three county council seats.

During a night of drama at Oaklands Snooker Club in Cinderford, the United Kingdom Independence Party proved they are a force to be reckoned within the Dean.

UKIP candidates won Lydney, Blakeney and Bream and Drybrook and Lydbrook and were runners up in four other wards.

Labour kept Cinderford and gained Coleford as the Conservatives saw their majority in Gloucestershire County Council wiped out.

The Independents took Mitcheldean, leaving the Conservatives with just Newent and Sedbury.

No party won enough seats to secure an overall majority in Shire Hall but the Forest made the main story of the night by returning three UKIP councillors from eight seats.

Across the county the Tories ended up with just 23 of a possible 53 seats while the Liberal Democrats ended up with 14 and Labour increased their numbers from five to nine.

For full report and pictures see The Forester.