LABOUR suffered a series of damaging setbacks in the South Tyneside Council elections.
In a night of heavy local and national losses for Labour, Paul Waggott was beaten by Independent candidate Geraldine White in the Fellgate and Hedworth ward in Jarrow.
It was one of four seats the party lost across South Tyneside.
A shaken Mr Waggott, 55, said: "I think the national situation may have affected the result, but I'm sure South Tyneside Council will continue to prosper."
Elswehere, it was second time lucky for South Shields businessman Ahmed Khan, who took the Beacon and Bents ward in South Shields for the Independents - the biggest political winners of the night.
And in the closest-run contest of the evening veteran Progressive councillor Jim Capstick held on to the Harton ward in South Shields by just three votes.
For more Election 2008 news click here.The full article contains 152 words and appears in Shields Gazette newspaper.
